A Time For Love
by AliceAtHeart
Summary: It was 1933 when Alexandria Sterling imprinted on Emmett Cullen, and it was 1935 when she lost him. Forced to endure the pain of losing an imprint, Alex pushes on, gathering her pack and making sure never to get too close to anyone. When an old friend calls and asks her to watch over his granddaughter, she must face the past. Ignore summary in chapter one/plot change EmmettXOC
1. Prologue - Alexandria Sterling

AN: Welcome to the story! Originally, I had planned on waiting until this story was complete to post, but I am so addicted to the plot, I can't wait to share it with you guys! Please forgive any historical inaccuracies! I am neither a historian nor was I born in the early 1900's!

Title: A Time For Love

Pairing: Emmett/OC/Paul Endgame: ?

Rating: M for language and sexual content

Genre: Angst/Romance

Summary: It was 1933 when Alexandria Sterling imprinted on Emmett Cullen, and it was 1935 when she lost him. Forced to endure the pain of losing an imprint, Alex pushes on, gathering her pack and making sure never to get too close to anyone. When an old friend calls and asks her to watch over his granddaughter – a poor human that had the misfortune of getting involved with vampires – how could she say no? When she arrives in Forks, she is confronted with her past, and forced to make a choice between a lost love and heated new one.

* * *

 **Prologue**

 _Alexandria Sterling_

* * *

My story is a long one, though I suppose it ought to be, it's been over a hundred years in the making. Maybe I should tell you about myself? They say the beginning is the best place to begin, but I often avoid the past. You can't change it, why bother hurting over it? They also say time heals all wounds… whoever _they_ is, conveniently forgot to mention the scars left behind. I'll start with the basics, I can do that much. My name is Alexandria Sterling, but as the times began to change, I shortened it to Alex. I was born in a small village in Mississippi in 1906, and yes, I'm a werewolf.

My mother always regarded my birth as a blessing, but only because of the circumstances. She and my older brothers managed to live through the hurricane of 1906, one that uprooted everything in its path only days before I was born… My father wasn't so lucky. My mother was a strict woman; an alpha of her own pack at one point. When she married my father she decided to stop phasing and raise her children the human way. My brothers were blessings – just like I supposedly was. Alistair was the oldest, sensible and responsible with a slight frame and deep eyes. He was only ten when my father died, but took on the role as 'man of the house' right away. Darren wasn't like that… He was a burly man with my mother's blond hair and blue eyes. He was funny, but always got in trouble. When they both phased not long after Darren turned eighteen, mother had her hands full. It broke her heart when they decided to go out on their own, throwing away the family right of becoming an alpha. That's when she turned to me… Her precious daughter and last hope.

It was 1922 when I first phased. I had gotten angry at mother about something trivial, something I couldn't remember well these days. When I phased, mother had been standing too close, and earned herself two long slashes down her chest. The cuts themselves didn't kill her, but the infection did. Without her ability to rapidly heal, she succumbed to her fever and left this world months later. When word reached Darren, he became furious… He hasn't spoken to me since. Alistair doesn't blame me, or so he says… I see him every now and then, but most of the time he travels with Darren.

After that day, I vowed to make my mother's dream come true. I would alpha a pack, but only the strongest wolves would be allowed to join. With that mentality, I set out on my own adventure, turning my back on my home town and tiny house. They only held the ghosts of the past. For over a decade, I traveled. I saw most of the United States and parts of Canada. I passed a few wolves in my travels, and even joined a few of them on their way. Ethan and Raven were amongst those. Ethan was a soft-spoken man with sapphire eyes and a kind heart. His mate, Raven, was less pleasant. I knew what he saw in her, she was undeniably beautiful. Her skin was dark and her eyes were amber. She smiled widely, but I always took note of the way her K9's seemed to glisten with warning. We parted ways in 1933, when I decided to head to Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

I guess that's where the first part of my story _really_ begins…

* * *

AN: Reviews are loved!


	2. Chapter One - Emmett McCarty

**Chapter One**

 _Emmett McCarty_

* * *

I had spent most of the last decade surround by wolves and trees, and yet it was the bustling streets of Gatlinburg that made me feel uncomfortable. I pulled at my dress, the fabric felt constricting against my body. I typically spent my time in men's clothes, or in nothing at all. I had seen the dress on a line just outside of town, and thought it best to try and blend in. I even washed my hair in a nearby stream and spent a bit of what little money I had on some shoes. No one looked my way, so I supposed it would do. Gatlinburg was far bigger than I thought it would be, drawing in visitors all the way from the west. My stomach growled, pulling my attention. How long had it been since I had eaten anything but raw rabbits and berries?

Across the street sat a small diner, its seats nearly filled. I tightened my hand around the tiny coin purse around my wrist – a parting gift from Ethan. Surly I could spend a few coins and get something warm to eat… With my stomach leading me, I made my way across the street, dodging cars and people. The noise inside was almost unbearable, and not just because of my enhanced hearing. Spotting a seat at the bar, I quickly claimed it before one of the people pushing in behind me could. It was obviously a local favorite spot. The woman behind the counter huffed, blowing a strand of blonde hair away from her pretty face as she juggled several plates. I watched with fascination as she placed them in front of their owners, greeting each one by name. As she passed me, an apple slid off one of the plates. Without thinking, I shot my hand out and caught it with ease. It was only when she stared at me wide-eyed that I realized my mistake.

"Nice reflexes, Hon!" She smiled widely and took the apple from me, shining it on her apron before replacing it on the plate. "What can I get you?" I had been so busy watching everything, I forgot to look at my menu. Glancing up at the boards behind her head, I quickly scanned the prices.

"Just the special please… coffee black." She didn't write it down, instead she called out to a heavyset man behind a tiny window. He repeated it back with a huff, his eyes never leaving his task.

"You're not from around here, are you?" The waitress smiled as she leaned against the counter, ignoring the patrons that called for her down at the other end.

"No." I shook my head, pushing a long brown strand behind my ear. "I just got into town."

"Well, out-of-towner, you got a name?" She watched me as she blindly handed a bill to one of the other men at the counter.

"Alexandria Sterling."

"Nice to meet you, Alexandria!" Again, she smiled widely. It was easy to see why the patrons at the diner were mostly men. A _ding_ from the portly cook signaled my food was ready. Placing a cup of coffee in front of me, she practically twirled and lifted the plate with ease. I tried not to salivate as she sat it in front of me. "M'names Bridget. Bridget McCarty!" She stuck her hand out to shake, which I gladly did. "You're burnin' up! Must be the beginnings of this summer heat!"

"It's nice to meet you, Bridget." With one more smile, she was off again, tending to the tables along the back wall.

Finally alone with my food, I practically hummed as I inhaled it. It wasn't nearly enough to fill me up, but it was hot and cooked – two things I didn't get often enough. Bridget stopped by again to fill my coffee cup in a whirlwind of energy before moving along. It was interesting to watch her work. If not for the occasional stumble, I would think her something supernatural. I wasn't sure how long I sat at the bar, but by my fourth cup of coffee, the crowed had thinned to a few elderly patrons. With a sigh, Bridget rounded the counter and hopped up on the stool next to me. It was when she took her apron off that I saw that she was very pregnant. I had been so preoccupied with my breakfast, I hadn't been as observant as I thought.

"You're working hard for a woman that looks like she's five months pregnant." I noted.

"Six, actually." She smiled and rubbed her hands affectionately over her stomach. "My family owns the place, so I'm just helping out until we can find someone to fill in. You looking for a job?" Her wide smile and question threw me off.

I hadn't planned on staying in Gatlinburg long, but something about the town just seemed to grab hold of me. "I could be." I fingered the small coin purse that still dangled from my wrist. I would have to come up with some money if I was going to stick around…

"My family's havin' a dinner tonight for my brother's birthday. You could come meet everyone and talk about the job with Mama."

I was nearly floored by her hospitality. "I couldn't impose. I'm sure your brother just wants to enjoy his birthday with his family…"

She waved me off, her eyes focusing on a newspaper left behind by a customer. "Emmett's a teddy bear. Besides, he never objects to havin' a pretty girl around."

* * *

The McCarty estate wasn't overly large, nor was it as tiny as my family's home had been. Even upon first glance, it was easy to see that the McCarty's did well for themselves. My hands intertwined in front of me as my ears picked up the joyous sounds within. Soft jazz played in a low hum as a booming laugh echoed above the mindless chatter. I debated turning away, making my way back into the woods where I belonged, but then I remembered Bridget's kindness. When she saw what little money I had, she refused payment for my breakfast. How could I refuse her request to come here? If I started working at the diner, it would also give her some time off her feet. Nodding to myself, I marched up the three brick steps and rapped quickly on the door.

"You should be ashamed!" Bridget called over her shoulder with a laugh as she pulled the heavy cherry wood door open. "Alexandria! I was beginning to worry you wouldn't come!" She surprised me with an embrace, one that spoke of a lifetime of friendship. "Come meet everyone!"

I let the frail woman with the protruding stomach pull me towards a lavish dining room. There must have been twenty people there, and unlike the crowds in the streets, they automatically knew I didn't belong. I licked my lips nervously as Bridget guided me towards a roaring fireplace. I caught sight of the large back of a man, and my breath caught. For the briefest moment, I thought Darren stood in front of me. As my heart calmed down, I realized it couldn't be him. The scent, although borderline intoxicating, was no doubt human. If possible, his frame seemed to be even larger than Darren's. His hair was darker too – I noted as we drew closer.

"Emmett, dear brother-" Bridget practically sang as she tapped the man's back. He instantly broke away from the conversation when he heard his sister's voice.

"Bridget, I was wondering where you went!" His crystal blue eyes locked on his sisters, his full lips spreading to reveal a dimpled smile. In that moment, I was sure I had never seen any man so beautiful as Emmett McCarty.

"I was greeting our guest! This is Alexandria."

As his clear cerulean eyes turned to mine, it felt like someone had pulled the rug from under my feet. Every breath he drew was like a siren's song, pulling on my heart and drawing me into him. I released Bridget's hand, fearing I would crush it as my fingers clenched to resist reaching out to him. She spoke in a soft voice, but it might as well have been a forging language. I had heard of imprinting, though it was supposed to be rare. I had never thought I would imprint, certainly not in the town of Gatlinburg. If he heard anything his sister said, he didn't acknowledge it. Emmett watched me with wide eyes and a semi-slacked jaw. It was like he was asking me a question I couldn't hear. In my mind, I screamed, whether it was from joy or sorrow, I couldn't tell. My inner wolf howled in delight at finding her mate, practically demanding to touch and claim him. The human side of me wondered what would become of this. Would I be stuck here? Would I never form the pack I silently promised my mother's spirit? Would I care?

"It's a pleasure to meet you." I was graced with his deep voice and dimpled smile again. "Truly… A pleasure."

* * *

AN: Well, there is chapter one! This fic is going to be loooong, so get comfortable lol. Reviews are loved!


	3. Chapter Two - The Imprint

AN: Thank you to everyone that reviewed! I'm glad you guys like the story! You can expect updates every Monday and Thursday as of right now. I'm actually finishing up chapter 4 right now, so there is plenty more story coming!

* * *

 **Chapter Two**

 _The Imprint_

* * *

I awoke with a gasp, my brow covered in sweat. My eyes adjusted to the darkness right away, but the location confused me. Where was I? With a flash of understanding, the previous night came back to me. I was given the job, and was even allowed the apartment above it. My hazel eyes screwed tight as visions of Emmett flooded in. I had ran, like a coward. After talking to him for only a moment I panicked. A whimper passed through my lips as I brought a hand to massage my chest. Was this pain normal? I had heard stories – the effects of being separated from your imprint. I didn't know it was going to be so sudden and intense. I nearly sobbed as the reality fell upon me. I would not get my pack. How could I confide a wolf to one location? Soon, I would stop phasing to age alongside Emmett. Even if he rejected me, I knew a world without him would be unbearable.

The wolf clawed at my brain, desperate to be near him, to know that he was okay. Knowing that all hope of sleep was lost, I threw my covers off and swung my feet around. I inwardly cursed myself as I allowed my body to lead me downstairs, and out into the woods. Thinking of my scarce wardrobe, I quickly slipped off my nightgown and tucked it under some leaves behind a tree. Closing my eyes, I let the familiar sensation of phasing overthrow me.

Letting out a deep breath through my nose, I opened my eyes to find myself on four familiar, snowy white paws. I let the imprint guide me, pulling me back towards the McCarty estate. It only took minutes to reach their backyard. To my surprise, Emmett sat on the back porch, his broad naked torso practically glowing in the moonlight. I couldn't stop the tiny whine that escaped my muzzle at the sight of him. I fought against the wolf as it tried to run towards him. I was sure _that_ would go well. His porcelain brow furrowed as his large hand lifted to massage his chest, much like I had earlier. Did he feel the pull too? I had only planned to visit, but the wolf had other ideas. Sighing, I collapsed onto the forest floor, content on waiting out the night there.

The portly cook, whose name I learned was Russell, turned out to be an exceedingly kind man. He was patient with me as I attempted to call out the orders in a way he would understand. The locals were understanding too, smiling at me as I fidgeted with the small note pad in my hand. Bridget stopped by in the morning, guiding me through the opening tasks as she rubbed her belly and snacked on some toast. Her husband, Jeffrey, had come to haul her off for a nap around noon, sending me a parting smile.

Like the day before, the customers thinned out as the day went on giving me the chance to catch my breath. It was hectic work, but my pockets jingled pleasantly with money, reminding me that it was most certainly worth it. I had my back to the door when a scent caught my attention – unfamiliar but utterly unmistakable. My spine stiffened as I turned, my eyes hard. The tall Native American male sat on one of the stools, his waist length black hair swaying with the movement. The few locals that remained in the diner watched him with weary eyes over their coffee cup. With a clenched jaw, I walked up to the counter, conscious of the eyes that were on us.

"Can I get you something?" His face gave away nothing as he examined me.

"You're Alexandria Sterling." I licked my lips. So he had come here for me. "Ethan and Raven told me where to find you. I heard you were looking for a pack." His voice was low, but so deep it felt like it reverberated through me.

"Sorry, but you're mistaken." I turned my focus to the salt shakers in front of me. The last thing I needed was a stray wolf near my imprint.

"I've heard about you from several lone wolves. Darren and Alistair were the ones that told me about you." It felt like I got punched in the stomach.

"Look-" I hissed leaning in so no one would hear. "I don't know what you're doing here, but I'm _not_ looking for a pack, and mentioning my brother's isn't exactly going to change my mind."

"I want to join you." He deadpanned, his face just as impassive as when he walked in. Had he heard a word I said? "My name is Chase. My pack was recently killed by a group of leeches, my imprint included." For the first time, his smooth face showed emotion. A pang of panic shot through me as I pictured Emmett dead at the hands of a vampire. I was so consumed by the thought that I didn't really register his pain.

Shaking the horrid image from my head, I met Chase's eyes again. "I'm not looking for a pack."

Standing, he towered over me. If I had to guess, I would say he was around six-six. "I'll come back another time."

I stared narrow-eyed at his retreating back. It was like talking to a wall! I wasn't sure if Ethan or my brother's had encouraged Chase to 'join' me, but as far as I was concerned he could return to them. Before I could dwell too long on the lone wolf, my chest gave way to flames. I nearly doubled over at the relief I didn't know I needed. His scent met me next, sweet and masculine. I forced myself to stand, pasting a smile on my face as Emmett's cheery face practically lit the inside of the diner.

"Hello, Alexandria." His dimpled smile didn't waver as he took the seat Chase had just abandoned. "I thought I would come down and see how you were doing."

"The girl's a natural!" Russell called over the sound of grilling burgers. "Had Mr. O'Neil eating out of her hand."

"Mr. O'Neil is a sucker for a pretty face." Emmett winked at me. To my horror, I felt a blush creep up my cheeks. "I can't say I blame him."

"Be careful Mr. McCarty," a coy smile pulled at my lips as I poured him a cup of coffee. "The locals might get the wrong idea."

"And what idea would that be?" I was beginning to think he always smiled, not that I minded. His piercing blue eyes watched me carefully.

"They might think you're sweet on me."

Behind the little window, Russell let out a snorting laugh. "She's cheeky too!"

Emmett's deep laughter shot through me like a bullet. My wolf practically purred in pleasure as his eyes moved from Russell to me. "I suppose they would think right, then." I tried to fight back a smile as I focused on anything other than his intense gaze. "There's a street fair tonight, welcoming the summer. I don't suppose you would want to go?"

For the first time since I met him, Russell abandoned his post at the tiny grill and made his way to the front to glare down at Emmett. "That's no way to ask a lady out, McCathy!" He huffed and wiped the sweat from his brow with the rag on his shoulder. "Ya gotta put some effort in!"

At the other end of the bar, a few men laughed as they watched us with amused gaze. "You're right, Russell!" Emmett stood, quickly bowing at the waist with a hand over his heart. With those blue orbs pinned to me, his smile grew. "Miss Sterling, would you do me the _honor_ of being my date tonight?"

"That's more like it." Russell mumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest, looking to me for my answer.

"I would be delighted."

The lights were practically hypnotizing, cloaking the dreary darkness of night. On either side of the cramped street, vendors called out to try their game or foods. As Emmett and I walked, my arm looped through his, I couldn't help but notice how people turned our way. He was obviously well known and loved throughout the town. My free hand curled nervously in the pleats of my borrowed dress. Bridget had been my size before her pregnancy, and insisted that I borrow one of her dresses. Her kindness towards me was unfounded, but more than welcome.

"Miss Mary makes the best apple pie in the world." I turned towards Emmett to find his eyes already on me. Every time our eyes met, I could feel the pull of the imprint all over again. "Can I be frank you with, Alexandria?" The request was startling, but I nodded nonetheless. "I feel drawn to you." He stopped to take my hands in his, facing me. "I can't explain it, but it was like I was meant to meet you."

"I know what you mean." More than he knew… I knew that eventually I would have to tell Emmett the truth about me, about the imprint. In a world where monsters were just stories for children, how could I expect him to understand? His smile broke again, paling the lights of the small stands. "Why don't we get a slice of that pie?"

"If you think you can stop at just one." He laughed again and placed a large hand on the small of my back. "Bridget was thinking of taking a trip to the cabins this weekend. They're good for hunting, but the women typically stay inside and gossip about how handsome we are." He gave me a cheeky smile. "I know I haven't known you that long, and I wouldn't want to scandalize you, but I would enjoy your company. You would have your own room of course. Bridget has taken a liking to you, and I would hate to leave her in the cabin all alone, especially in her state."

If the promise of the woods wasn't enough to draw me in, the prospect of spending a weekend with Emmett was. "I think I could manage that, though I'm not usually the gossiping type."

"Do you hunt?" He rose a brow. A woman hunting was rare, that was true enough, but if he found out the way I hunted, it would be enough to turn his hair white.

"Not particularly. I do enjoy a good run through the woods, though."

"Well, I don't suggest going alone. There are a lot of bears in the woods."

* * *

Reviews are loved!


	4. Chapter Three - The Cabin

AN: Hello all my beautiful readers! Here is the next chapter! We won't be in the 1930's much longer :D I want most of the story to take place in present day so there can be some Paul time too! I think I know who Alex is going to end up with. I don't want to give it away, but I might do an alternate ending either way! Since this chapter is a bit shorter, I thought I would post it early!

* * *

 **Chapter Three**

 _The Cabin_

* * *

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you eat a lot more than your figure would lead a man to believe." There was no malice behind Emmett's words, and his usual smile didn't falter. I couldn't help but let a laugh bubble through me.

"You could say it runs in my family."

He grabbed my hand, his chuckle slowing down. "What about your body temperature? You run a lot hotter than anyone I've ever met."

"Yeah, that too."

Around us, the wind swept across the clearing, rustling the leaves on the trees. The McCarty cabin was beautiful, as was the surrounding property. I couldn't wait to phase after everyone went to bed. As soon as we arrived, I caught scent of Chase. He was nearby, even now. I would have to confront him too. I didn't think he was dangerous, but it still made me uneasy to have my mate that close to a rogue wolf. Summer was definitely upon Gatlinburg. I had always loved the sunshine, if only for the fact that it kept the leeches away.

"So you grew up in Mississippi?" Emmett laid back on his elbows, the tight button down he was wearing stretched across is broad chest. "Do you miss it?"

I hummed and tried to answer honestly without giving too much away. "I did when I was young. After my brother's moved out and my mother passed, I left and never looked back."

"Doesn't it bother you to be all alone?" He frowned now, and I absolutely hated it. It suited Emmett's face much more to smile.

"At first it did. I spent most of the time since traveling and getting to meet new people." I shrugged and laid out next to him, my tanned skin soaking up the sun. My eyebrows shot up as Emmett rolled to hover over me, not quite on top of me. "That was bold." I smiled, trying to ignore the way my heart seemed to be trying to break from my chest.

"Life is short, and I thought the only thing that would make this day better is a kiss." That was bolder. I couldn't stop my smile as he seemingly waited for a response. Bold or not, he was a gentleman.

"Well? I'm not going to kiss myself." His smile returned full force.

His lips meeting mine was like a divine intervention; like finding a part of yourself you never realized you lost. Without my permission, my hands glided up his chest to fist his shirt. How I despised that thin layer of fabric that separated his flesh from mine. He groaned into my mouth, his large fingers dancing over the buttons that held the top of the dress closed. My head swam as I drowned in him, trying to hold myself back from hurting him.

"I swear-"he breathed between kisses. "-I've never done this so soon-"

"Stop talking." I mumbled before pulling his mouth back to mine. I needed to _feel_ him.

Giving in to my urges, I undid the top button of his shirt, and then the next, then the next. I paused only to rip the newsy cap from his head, tossing it in the grass next to us. I wanted nothing to obscure the image of his face flush with desire. He took the cue, hiking my dress up to my thigh and allowing his fingers to dance over my heated skin.

"Well, it seems we're crashing a private party." Jeremy's voice broke through the haze that Emmett created. With a gasp, I sat up, nearly tossing Emmett off of me in the process. On the edge of the clearing stood a bemused Bridget and Jeremy, picnic basket in hand.

"Yet, that didn't stop you from turning back." Emmett sent his brother-in-law a pointed look, obviously unhappy that we were disturbed.

My eyes moved from his face to his bare chest and abs that could clearly be seen thanks to my handy work with his shirt. Fighting back the lust that overcame me, I tried to smile at his family. As inconspicuously as possible, I fixed my dress and cleared my throat. I wasn't embarrassed, per say, but I certainly didn't like that we were caught like two frisky teens.

"Join us." I smiled and moved to make room for them. Emmett sent me the most pitiful look I had ever seen from a grown man.

"How about you and I take a walk, Jeremy." The annoyed look was back as Emmett rose to clap his brother-in-law on the back. "Maybe bring the guns." He joked with a wink in my direction. I smiled as the two walked off, their every word clear to me.

"I have to say, I've never seen Emmett take to someone quite so quickly." I wasn't surprised by Bridget's words. The imprint was stronger than I would have thought, and apparently I wasn't the only one feeling the effects. "He really likes you, ya' know."

"I really like him too." I smiled as I glanced in his direction.

"Good!" Bridget looked like she had just won the lottery. "I knew when you walked into the diner that you were sent here for a reason, Alexandria. I think you were meant to be in Emmett's life, and mine."

I fought back the emotions that welled in me at her words. "I think so too. I'm really happy I met you both."

"Just make sure you keep your own last name like I did!" She winked. It took me a moment to understand what she meant, but when I did, my elusive blush came roaring back.

It was well after midnight when I was sure that the others were asleep. Not wanting to risk waking anyone, I forwent the door and slipped from the small window in my second-story room. My feet hit the ground in a soft _thump_ , the smells of nature automatically invading my senses. I padded into the tree line, the summer grass soft and damp under my bare feet. Shedding my night dress, I hung it on a low branch before letting the shaking of my body overcome me.

I loved being wolf. There wasn't anything about it that I hated. Letting my feet pick up pace, I practically flew across the forest floor, the trees blurring past me. It was around the clearing from earlier that I picked up not only the smell of Chase, but blood. With a worried whiny, I slowed slightly. He wasn't phased, I would be able to hear him… He must be hurt in his human form. Resolving that I would at least have to _check_ and make sure he was okay, I followed the scent. I trailed it to a small river, and it was there I saw a naked Chase leaned up against the bark of a tree. He lifted his gaze to mine, the only hint of his pain residing in his narrowed eyes. I eyed the blood running down his chest from the open wound just above his collar bone. _Damn it_.

With a sigh, I jumped the river, phasing back as soon as my paws hit the other bank. Frowning, I crouched in front of him, unfazed by my nudity. "What the hell happened to you?"

"Your mate shot me." If he was angry, he didn't show it. My frown deepened as I looked at his wound. Emmett had mentioned shooting a big black bear, but it got away.

"Why aren't you healing?" I gently probed the angry skin around the wound, earning a hiss from the large man in front of me.

"My fingers are too big to get the bullet out, and my body hasn't pushed it out yet." He seemed bored with the whole thing, which baffled me. Meeting his eyes, I shook my head before focusing on the wound.

The bullet wasn't that deep anymore, but the hole had begun to close before the wound, meaning he had to keep ripping the skin. _Ouch_. Deciding to take pity on him, I told him to brace himself as I dove in. He groaned as my nails dug through blood and flesh to find the small metal intruder. Other than that, he remained still. He was completely compliant, no hint of distrust in him. I glanced at his face again as I managed to locate the bullet. He was odd, even for a wolf. It wasn't typical that a lone wolf sought out an alpha. Typically, it was the other way around. Yet he had followed me here, and had been in the diner again last week. Refocusing on the task at hand, I worked the bullet out, relieved when it practically popped from his skin. He sighed in relief as it did so, finally giving his body a chance to heal.

"Thanks." I nodded and examined the bullet. We were so strong, but still vulnerable to such a small thing. "Have you thought about my offer?"

I rolled my eyes and fell back to the grass. "I don't want a pack." I must have said that sentence twenty times that week. "Why are you so determined to be my beta?"

"I told you, I think you'd be a good alpha."

"You don't even know me..." Standing, I tossed the bullet in the river before phasing, exploding in a blur of white fur.

"I'm not going to give up." With a huff that blew the grass under my muzzle, I headed back the way I came. Some wolves could be so stubborn.

* * *

AN: Reviews are loved.


	5. Chapter Four - New Life

AN: Special thank you to those of you that took the time to review! I have decided the 'theme' song for this fic is Panic! At The Disco: New Perspective.

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

 _New Life_

* * *

It was three months later when I saw Chase again. In the beginning, I had worried that he had met his end in the woods by the cabin. Even though I didn't want him to join my nonexistent pack, I found myself disappointed that he had given up so soon. Surly I hadn't deterred him with just a few simple words. But no, here he sat, his impassive gaze staring through me as I served other customers. I knew he didn't have money, but I couldn't bring myself to kick him out. Giving in, I made my way to the back and had Russell make a burger and fries for him. The diner could take the small hit, and if I had to, I would pay for it myself. I placed the plate in front of him, earning a low 'thanks' before he dug in. I think his ongoing silence was the only thing that made Chase's presence bearable.

As I places a soda in front of him, a smile spread across my lips. A moment later, Emmett walked through the door, his smile bigger than I had ever seen it. He paused to lean over the counter and give me a chaste kiss before sitting down next to Chase.

"What's got you smiling so wide?" I asked as I leaned on the bar, my face only inches from his.

"Bridget just went into labor." I opened my mouth to congratulate both him and her, but I was cut off by a loud whooping from Russell.

"She better name that boy after me!" He pointed the spatula at Emmett, as if he had any say in the matter.

"We don't even know if it's a boy, you crazy old man!" Emmett laughed and leaned back on his stool. Chase kept his gaze on his food, seemingly disinterested with the whole thing.

"I know!" Russell was adamant, he emerged from the back to make his point. "All three times my wife was pregnant, I knew what they were gonna be!"

Emmett simply laughed and let the older man have his way. His eyes caught sight of Chase for the first time and rose an eyebrow at me. Great, now I would have to intergrade Chase further into my life. "Emmett, this is an old friend from Mississippi, Chase." I hated lying to Emmett. It felt like acid on my lips.

"Nice ta' meet you." I suppressed a smile as Emmett puffed out his chest and extended a hand to the wolf. It was cute that he was being territorial, but completely unnecessary. Sure, I noticed the attractiveness of other men, but it was like looking at a pretty painting. None of them made my heart jump the way Emmett did. He was my forever.

"Emmett!" A frantic voice cut through the easy conversation at the diner as the tiny bell above the door jingled. "Come quick, it's Bridget!"

My breath caught in my throat as Emmett dashed out the door without as much as a backwards glance. I quickly yelled for Russell to watch the counter as I ran out behind him. Ahead of me, I could hear the man mention something about birth complications, and I knew it was grim.

* * *

We all wept when news of Bridget's passing reached us. To some, like Emmett, it was practically unbearable. I wrapped my arms around him that night, as he cried into his large hands. Thanks to the imprint I could feel not only my misery, but his as well. He cried all the way up until the funeral, where he put on a brave face to honor his baby sister. Across the casket, Jeremy stood, their little boy nestled in his arms. He seemed to shut down after Bridget's death, focusing only on their newborn baby who he had yet to name. We offered to help, of course, but he was insistent on doing it himself. It was December when he moved away, taking baby Jack with him.

Through the New Year, Emmett mourned. I unofficially moved in with him over those few months, determined to not let my imprint fall further down this pit of despair. As the weather warmed once again, Emmett's smile made a more frequent appearance. Getting out of the house helped, but there were nights when he still cried. It was September when I heard his old laugh return. He looked at me with sparkling eyes and what could only be described as love. We made love for the first time that night, more than a year after his sister's passing. As we rang in 1935, He was the Emmett I loved again.

* * *

 **Spring 1935**

* * *

"I saw your friend Chase in town this weekend." Emmett said as he glanced up from the newspaper. When his mourning had passed, I had been so used to living with him, I didn't bother leaving. It caused quite the scandal, but neither of us cared much.

"Oh?" I had seen Chase around too. He was persistent, if nothing else. I thought he would have given up after the first year, but every Friday he came to me and asked to join me. I was close to giving in, if only for the easy friendship we had formed.

"How about dinner tonight?" I was surprised at the invitation. Emmett preferred to stay in most nights.

"That sounds wonderful."

"Great!" His smile was wide, but I could hear his heartbeat pick up. Was he nervous about something? "I love you." He kissed me quickly before grabbing his hat off the table.

"I love you too." I stood and walked him to the door. "I just wish you didn't have to go hunting today." Especially since my shift at the diner meant I wouldn't be able to follow him. I thought about asking Chase, but that would cross us over into pack territory, and I wasn't sure if I wanted that or not.

"It's just a few baby bears." He winked and kissed me again. "They're no match for me."

With the weather starting to warm, more people ventured out to the diner for breakfast. I didn't mind the rush, it allowed me to build a nice little nest egg. Emmett's mother was a kind woman that understood my situation. She had lost her husband the year before I moved to Gatlinburg, and had been supporting herself since. She tried to give me as many hours as possible, and even talked of handing the place down to me. It was a shock, to say the least. She was getting older now, and believed she didn't have long left. I didn't have the heart to tell her she was right. Her scent was sickly, though the doctor's couldn't figure out what was wrong with her.

I looked up as the bell above the door signaled a new customer. Chase took his usual seat at the bar, not a word spoken. I learned quickly that he wasn't a man of many words. He only spoke when he deemed necessary. To be honest, it was what made him such good company. He was an old soul, and it shined in his eyes. I had once asked just how old he was, but all I got in response was some mumblings of 'the white man taking his land'. I didn't need much more information.

I called back his usual burger, trying to busy myself with cleaning a few glasses to keep my mind off Emmett. The bears had been particularly mean this year. I had to kill one just the other day because it was wondering into town. I would have liked to follow Emmett, but most of my spare time was spent training the new waitress. With the increase of tourism, Mrs. McCarty thought it would be best to have some help.

"You know how my cousin owns the jewelry store down on main?" I heard Russell ask Maria, the new waitress in a hushed voice. I wondered why he was whispering, and couldn't help but listen in.

"Of course! That fancy store with all those glittering diamonds! I think every girl in Tennessee knows about it." She laughed.

"Well, he told me that a certain McCarty was in there last week, and he left with a big-ol' diamond engagement ring." My breath caught.

I shouldn't have listened, but I wasn't exactly angry. Suddenly, Emmett's nervousness and want to go out to dinner made sense… He was going to propose. I couldn't help but smile widely as I took Chase's food from the little window and placed it in front of him. My face hurt I smiled so wide. My imprint wanted to marry me.

"Congratulations." For the first time since I met him, Chase cracked the smallest of smiles. "I can only imagine how happy you must be."

My smile faded as I leaned against the counter opposite him. "I thought you said you had an imprint."

"I said I lost my imprint." A pang of guilt shot through me as his dark eyes saddened.

"Oh-I'm sorry… I … I can't imagine how hard that must have been."

"It was unbearable." He licked his lips, his eyes watching a memory that I couldn't. "I thought my body would cease to exist right then and there… It was like having my heart ripped out and shown to me."

I let out a shaky breath. "How did you keep going?"

He shook the memory, long ink-black hair moving with him. "Alistair. He kept me from doing anything… stupid. He and Darren held me together until I learned how to breathe on my own again. When I was stable enough, that's when they told me about you."

I was silent as I contemplated his words. Had he tried to hurt himself? Would I if anything happened to Emmett? Panic shot through me at the thought. It was nearly crippling. I would have to tell Emmett the truth about everything. He needed to know what I was. I owed him that much. When my panic didn't settle, I became confused. Then, an intense pain shot through my stomach and chest. I realized a little too late that the panic I had been feeling wasn't my own.

"Emmett…" I breathed his name, hopping the counter and making a run for the door. I could feel Chase on my heels, but I didn't deter him.

I managed to make it into the woods before exploding out of my clothes. As Chase phased, his memories flooded me. I saw his imprint die in his arms. I saw him try to throw himself off a cliff, only to be stopped by Alistair. Howling, I picked up my speed as pain wracked my body. Something was very, _very_ wrong. As I neared Emmett, the overwhelming smell of blood hung in the air.

 _'Oh God.'_

 _'Don't let panic skew your judgment.'_ Chase's calm voice echoed in my mind. I tried to block out the images of his imprint as I pushed forward.

That was when I saw it… The bear. It was larger than any I had seen, and _very_ angry. I froze at the site of Emmett's limp body in front of it. Before the first of my tears could fall, Chase tackled the bear in a blur of black fur. I phased as I slowly approached Emmett, too scared to run to his side. My knees gave out once I reached him. Bile rose in my throat as I took in his mangled form.

"No… _No!_ " I sobbed and cradled his head to look at his angelic face. "Please, don't leave me, Emmett… I'm not that strong!" I wept as I ran my hands over his face.

He groaned under me, his heartbeat weak. He managed to pull his eyes open, staring at me with nothing but love. "Am I in heaven?"

Another sob ripped from my throat as I clutched the torn fabric of his shirt. My grief turned to madness as the sickly sweet scent of leech invaded my nose. It must have smelled all the blood. I looked up to see a confused blonde watching me as if she was internally arguing with herself.

"Do it!" I half screamed, half begged. "Kill me!" I would go with Emmett, I wouldn't fight it.

Her brow furrowed before she turned her gaze to Emmett. Her face softened then, her full lips pulling in a frown. "I can save him… We can turn him."

We? There were more of them nearby? I looked down at Emmett's sweet face, his heartbeat practically non-existent. If I said yes, he would be my enemy. I wouldn't be able to be with him anymore. Hell, he probably wouldn't even remember me! But… he would be alive in a sense.

"Do it." I mumbled as I fell on my backside, unable to tear my eyes from his face.

"You know you won't be able to see him again… he'll forget his human life."

"Just take him before I change my mind!" I snapped, my wolf growling inside my mind. Having Emmett turn into a leech would be as painful as watching him die.

She gently walked over and lifted him in her arms, gazing down at him with that same soft expression. "I'll take care of him. I promise."

And then they were both gone, and I was left sobbing on the forest floor with only Chase to keep me together.

* * *

AN: Sad chapter :( Please review! The next update will be Wed, and it'll be all about Alex gathering her pack!


	6. Chapter Five - Forming the Pack

AN: Yay! Update day! This chapter is back story. It's all about how Alex formed her pack, and the members of it. You can skip it if you want, but you will be confused later!

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

 _Forming The Pack_

* * *

See? I told you, the scars of the past never fully go away. Chase spent the next ten years helping me learn to live. He became my closest friend and ally, not to mention my beta. He was the first official member of my pack. Without him, I probably wouldn't have made it. The pain of losing Emmett never left, but it dulled. I could _feel_ when he turned. It felt like the invisible thread that connected us had been cut. I still felt the pull of the imprint every now and then, but it was bearable. Like an echo. I fought the urge to seek him out, knowing that there was no future for us anymore. When I felt the need, I found a warm body to lay under, but I never did open myself up to love again. How could I?

I suppose you want me to get on with the story, huh? Well, I guess the next major point in my life was day I met Samson and Tyler…

* * *

 **1945**

 _Samson & Ty  
_

* * *

I hated street fairs. The last one I went to had been with Emmett, and ever since then, they reminded me of him. However, this was one of those events that Chase insisted I needed. Every few years I fell into a depression, and Chase would be there to pick me up and force me to deal with society for a while, if only to remind myself I was alive. This one was especially loud, thanks to the war ending. People necked and danced in the streets, singing the praises of America. As much as I hated to admit it, the mood was infectious. Although Chase had forced me to attend, he slipped out of sight as soon as he was sure I wouldn't run for the hills. He was a private man, and I respected his need to be alone every now and then.

A loud band in the center of all the commotion seemed to be drawing the most attention. I pushed through the crowd until I was on the edge of the dance floor, watching couples move this way and that.

"Pretty impressive, huh?" A male voice asked from my side.

Turning, I smiled at the boy. He must have been no older than seventeen, and gangly as anything. His features were soft, much like Alistair's. I instantly felt drawn to him. "I'll say." I followed his gaze to one particular girl who twirled with her friends before breaking out into laughter. "Your girlfriend?"

He snorted, a deep blush covering his cheeks. "I wish. Madeline likes guys like my cousin, Tyler. You know, tall, dark, handsome… If you like that kind of thing." His laughter was genuine, and I found myself laughing along. "My name is Samson Swan. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Alexandria Sterling." I shook his hand quickly. Turning back to the dance floor, I spotted Madeline talking to a tall stranger. Instantly, I knew he was a wolf. "Is that your cousin?" I asked, my jaw tightening.

"Yeah, that's Ty." I nodded before moving towards him.

I was only half way across the dance floor when Tyler's eyes shot up to meet mine. A low growl came from the man. Great, he was territorial. Tapping the girl on the shoulder, I smiled. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but my friend over there would _really_ love a dance with you." She looked towards Samson with a smile before excusing herself.

"You're on my territory." He wasted no time. His eyes were an angry deep blue under think black brows. Stubble lined his wide jaw and continued down his neck. He was in fact tall, dark, and handsome like Samson had said. He had a dangerous look to him, with a broad chest and an air of danger.

"I'm just passing through." Although I wanted to defuse the situation, my inner alpha refused to be talked to with such disrespect. "Where is your alpha, _underling_?"

He growled again, his whole form shaking. "I don't need an alpha!" he practically yelled. "So you and your pack can get the _hell_ out of my town."

I watched his back as he stormed off, the crowd ignoring him as they clapped for the end of the song. Turning, I smiled as Samson ran up to me. "I owe you big time! I don't know what you said, but Madeline wants to have lunch!"

"All I did was point her in your direction. The rest was all you!" He smiled again.; it was so carefree. I wished I could be that innocent.

"Where did Ty go?" He asked and looked around. I frowned at the mention of the angry rogue. "Uh oh, you didn't fall for him too, did you?"

I scoffed and looked over my shoulder in the direction he had left. "He's not really my type."

* * *

I groaned as my back scraped against the bark of a tree. My fingers dug into Ty's bare shoulders as his lips moved down my collarbone. He entered me quick and hard, no remorse in his frantic thrusts. I tried to remember how we got here, but it was all a blur of anger and sex. He took me two more times on the forest floor before we angrily parted ways.

I spent the next year with Tyler, our little affair bringing us together in interesting ways. There was no love behind these encounters, but with each one, our anger dissipated a little more. When we parted ways after Samson and Madeline's wedding in 1946, I considered him a close friend. I extended the offer to join my pack, but he declined. He said that he had a little more independent traveling to do, but he looked forward to the day when he would join Chase and I.

* * *

 **1957**

 _Nicolas_

* * *

It wasn't until 1957 that I gathered my next pack member. I walked down the rain-drenched streets of New York, trying to block out the sounds of people ringing in the New Year. Chase, as always, remained impassive by my side. His ears were better than mine by far, so I knew the noise must have been bothering him. Still, he kept his dark eyes forward as we turned down another alley. We would be leaving the city in the morning and heading north for a while. I wanted to get out of the states, perhaps even overseas.

"Do you hear that?" Chase tilted his head the slightest bit, his eyes narrowing. Straining my ears, I could just make out the sound of a whimper. "Sounds like a wolf."

I frowned. I didn't know of any wolves that would dare phase in the middle of a city, even on a night where everyone was drunk. I let my feet carry me towards the sound, eventually building up to a run as the cries began to grow frantic. In the back of an alley, along the backside of a butcher's shop stood a small wolf. He wouldn't be small by human standards of course, but he was tiny compared to others. His large caramel head spun around towards us. His eyes were mismatched, blue on the left and honey on the right. He whimpered again, pressing himself into the wall. I looked around quickly, hoping no humans were in earshot.

Ordering Chase to phase and calm the wolf down, I kept my eyes and ears open for anyone passing. It took the better part of an hour to get the young wolf calm enough to phase back to his human form. I quickly handed him my coat as Chase redressed.

"Why the hell am I a – a werewolf?" The boy's lip trembled as he looked from Chase to me.

He seemed to be of Spanish-American decent, though I couldn't pin down his exact ethnicity. His curly hair sat on his head in a cloud of frantic frizz. "I'm not your parent, kid. Didn't they explain it to you?" There was nothing worse than an uninformed pup. They were dangerous at this age, and I didn't want anyone to get hurt.

"I'm a foster kid." He clutched my jacket around him. "Today was my eighteenth birthday, so I got the boot." I frowned and looked to Chase. He was uninformed and all alone.

"You can't be serious." Chase sighed, shaking his head when he realized what I was thinking. "He's a liability."

"He's alone…"

" _He_ is standing right here." The boy cut in with a frown. "My name is Nicolas – or Nick if you prefer."

"My name is Alexandria, and this is my beta, Chase."

The sad look didn't leave his face as he looked between us again. "Are you going to help me?"

"Yeah… we're going to help you." I replied with a small smile as Chase pinched the bridge of his nose.

Nicolas turned out to be a natural. Within days he could phase on command and had good instincts His happy energy was different, but welcome. It kept him from getting angry enough to phase. On top of that he was fast… _really_ fast. Watching him was like watching a light brown blur dart across the woods.

Chase tolerated him, but didn't really embrace him as part of the pack right away. It had been Chase and I for so long, I think he was having trouble with the change. Nicolas however didn't seem to notice or care. He tagged along with Chase every chance he got. I wasn't sure if the young wolf idolized my beta, or was in love with him. His mind was always such a flurry of activity, it was hard to pin down one thought.

We met with Ethan and Raven a few months later, staying just long enough to have dinner with them. Ethan took a liking to Nicolas, teaching him several battle tactics he had learned throughout the years. It was like he brought a new energy to the pack. I think that was when my pack really started to form.

* * *

 **1960**

 _James and Matt_

* * *

It was 1960 when I walked into a small pub outside of Ontario. We had heard the commotion from outside, of course, but a little bar fight had never scared me. Inside was chaos. There were people everywhere, blending into one giant swarm of activity. The pub was a known wolf bar, but it was clear that most of the people fighting were humans. I took a step back as a chair flew across the room, passing only inches from my face. Nicolas laughed loudly as his mismatched eyes jumped around the room. Chase gave me a pointed look that said he would rather be anywhere than here.

"Hold this!" A young guy smiled widely and thrust his beer into Nicolas's hands before literally throwing himself into the mob. He smelled of wolf, so he probably didn't really fear getting hurt.

"This is awesome!" Nicolas chuckled. "Here!" He handed the beer back to the man as he appeared.

"That's not his." I frowned and examined the boy's face. He was almost identical, so I couldn't blame Nicolas. He had the same brown hair, combed in a way that made it look like it naturally fell like that. His amber eyes, although much like the first man's were rounder and softer.

"Good eye!" The boy smiled widely. It was then that the first one appeared. Identical twin wolves. "Wolf or not, no one can usually tell us apart!"

"Hey, give me that!" The first boy shot his brother a look and snatched the beer out of his hands. "Thanks for that!" He smiled at Nicolas now. "I'm James, and this is my brother Matt." He gestured to his twin.

"I'm Nick! This is Chase and Alexandria."

James paused with the bottle half way to his lips, his brother wearing an identical shocked look. "You're Alexandria Sterling…"

"You've heard of me?" I rose an eyebrow and folded my arms over my chest. It was rarely good when another wolf had heard of you.

"Are you kidding!?" It was Matt that laughed. " _Everyone_ has heard of you! There are rumors that you're putting together an elite pack – stronger than any other."

My eyebrows felt like they shot into my hairline. "You shouldn't believe everything you hear."

"We believe this." James finished his beer, placing it on a nearby table. Around us, the fighting continued. "You're Chase Marks, right?" He looked to Chase, who didn't answer. "You were the beta of the ridge-back pack. They say you were the only one to survive _and kill_ ten leeches. You're supposed to have like – super ears, even for our kind."

Chase didn't respond, but his jaw clenched. "And you-" Matt continued, pointing towards Nick. "You're Nicolas Stone. Didn't know you were a wolf, figured it all out in _two fucking days_ , and can run so fast, you make leeches look like they're crawling. They're calling you 'The Shadow'."

Nicolas looked proud of himself as the twins turned their matching gazes to me. "We can't forget our alpha with the heart of gold-" James began.

"Makes a lasting impression wherever she goes, with the eyesight of ten wolves." Matt finished, their faces pulled into identical grins. "Which is how you were able to tell us apart."

"You have to let us join your pack!" James practically jumped. "I mean, we were in Russia when we first heard about you. We came all the way here with the intention of tracking you down."

I blinked as I processed everything he had just said. Russia? Did other wolves seriously think I was building some kind of super-pack? I mean, sure, my pack-mates were good, but were they really _that_ impressive? I guess I didn't notice because I was around it all the time. Although I knew my eye sight was better than most, I would hardly say I had the sight of ten wolves.

"I'm not looking to add to my pack." To my left, Chase hummed in agreement.

"Oh come on!" James moved in front of me, his brother hanging back with hopeful eyes. "We're identical, even in wolf form. Because we're twins, we have this crazy bond. We always know where the other one is. We don't have to think it or plan it, we work together like one person."

It felt like a sales pitch. I really wasn't trying to build an elite pack, so I didn't care about their abilities. "They seem nice." Nicolas gave me a weary smile, not wanting to step out of place.

With a sigh, I knew I couldn't refuse them. They seemed nice enough, and super-pack or not, their ability _would_ come in handy in a life or death situation. "Fine."

Witnessing the twins work together was just as amazing as James had said it was. They were truly identical, down to the placement of their spots. Their minds were silent as they moved. They were fluid, exactly like they said they were. After the twins joined me, the rumors only grew. I had overheard a few lone wolves talking about it when we made our way back to the States. With their abilities, my 'elite-pack' was all but confirmed.

It was a few years later that the rumor caused Ty to seek me out again. Even though I denied it, he finally agreed to join me. With a growing pack, it was easy to feel overwhelmed at times, but there was also a sense of family. I got to know each of them, inside and out. I trusted them with my life and knew they felt the same. For the first time since losing Emmett, I didn't feel so alone.

* * *

 **1990**

 _Lilly_

* * *

In 1990, Lilly was the last to join my pack, and the one that really solidified the fact that yes, I had unintentionally formed a pack of elite wolves. She wasn't overly strong or smart, but she was young. Lilly had phased for the first time at eight years old. It was the youngest phase anyone had ever heard of. Her mother had been beta of their family pack, and made Lilly stop phasing until her fifteenth birthday. When her mother passed away, Lilly's father – the alpha of her pack – began to get abusive. Finding Lilly is one memory I refuse to visit… It's too horrible. The way he took advantage of the fragile little blonde with bright blue eyes was enough to make anyone sick.

Matt and James and not given him a chance for redemption. I typically was against killing our own kind, but they did so with my blessing. Lilly was frail and terrified when I asked her to join my pack, but agreed to do so at the promise of protection. Over the next few years, she came out of her shell a bit, but we could all see the flashes of memory that plague her daily. It made the twins want to kill the bastard all over again.

And that was how my pack formed… How my family formed. I would protect them with my life.

* * *

AN: As always, reviews are loved!


	7. Chapter Six - Protecting Bella

AN: If it's okay with you guys, I'm going to just make this story **OC/Emmett story**. I had started out wanting a love triangle, but now I'm kind of cheering for them lol. I've been a little under the weather, so the next chapter might be a little late!

* * *

 **Chapter Six**

 _Protecting Bella_

* * *

"This is awesome!" Nicolas cheered as we walked down the brightly-lit boardwalk. I wasn't really a carnival person, but seeing as the younger members of the pack had never been to one, I thought it would be good to stop by.

"I can't wait to eat!" Matt smiled widely as he eyed several of the stands.

"I bet I can ride the tornado more times than any of you." Lilly sent them a coy smile, grabbing the tickets out of Nick's hand and making a run for it.

I laughed as I watched the younger pack members run carelessly into the crowd. No matter how old they got, they were still like a bunch of rowdy teens. I turned to Ty and Chase, only to find Ty missing. He was almost as quiet and secluded as Chase, but it was unlike him to just wander off without warning. I opened my mouth to ask Chase where he went when Ty pushed through the crowd, a frown on his rugged face.

"What's wrong?" I had a feeling that our carefree day was about to take a bad turn.

"It's Samson." My stomach dropped. Before Tyler had joined me, he told his cousin everything. We visited whenever we got the chance, but it had been decades since I had seen my old friend. Even then, he was growing gray and weak with age. "He's… He doesn't have much longer. He asked us to come, says he had a favor to ask."

Ty's face remained neutral, but I could hear his strain to keep his voice even. I nodded quickly before turning to my beta. "We'll go ahead. When they're done here, meet us. There's no need to ruin their fun."

"Okay," He nodded once, placing a large hand on my shoulder. It was his form of comfort. "If you need me sooner, howl."

Samson, although obviously on the brink of his end, still gave me a boy-like smile as we entered his room. He tried to sit up in bed, but his arms gave out half way. With a deep frown, Tyler carefully lifted him and propped him against the crisp white pillows. It was hard to see him like this, but he lived a good life. His wife had gone a few years ago, and his son lived on the other side of the country. I doubted he knew the state his father was in, or he would be at his side.

I had met Charlie once when he was a small boy. He had his father's eyes and his mother's will to do the right thing. Last I heard, he was living in Washington with his daughter. I was sad to hear that he divorced, but I never really knew the woman he married. Ty had swung by a few times over the years, but never approached his extended family.

"You look exactly the same as the day we met." Samson's eyes shone with happiness at the memory.

"You don't look a day over fifty." He laughed at my obvious flattery. "Ty said you needed a favor… Whatever it is, we'll do it."

He smiled at his cousin. Ty returned it and sat on the end of Samson's bed. "It's about my granddaughter, Bella. She's been seeing this guys, and from what Charlie said, he sounds a lot like a vampire."

Ty's breath caught, his shoulders shaking lightly. "You want us to kill him?"

Samson laughed lightly. "There's no need. About three months ago, he and his family left. Apparently, Bella has been practically comatose since. I was hoping you guys could go down there and keep an eye on her, make sure he doesn't come back."

"Of course we will." I nodded without hesitation. I would have done anything Samson asked of me. "You can trust us with your granddaughter, Samson. Bella Swan is officially under my pack's protection."

I expected Samson's funeral to be hard – one of those emotionally scarring events that seemed to make up my life, but it wasn't. We laughed. It was like Samson was there next to us as we told old stories and shared a drink. Ty took it harder, but I knew to give him his space. It was a week later when we left for Forks. I had only been through Washington once on my way to Canada, but that was a long time ago. There was a small pack there at the time. I only stayed long enough to prove I wasn't a threat. I wondered if any of the original members were there.

"This place is a dump." James frowned as we took in the dusty, rundown interior of our rental home.

"Well, it's better than the woods." Matt matched his twin's frown as he tried to make light of the situation.

"That's debatable." Ace's typical scowl deepened as he ran a finger over the thin layer of dust covering a lamp.

"Look, it sucks, but we're supposed to be high school students." I crossed my arms, leaving no room for debate. "We can't show up to school covered in leaves. Samson left us a good amount of money, so we need to put it to good use."

"How exactly are Chase and I going to pass for students?" Ty looked over at the tall native. It was true that they looked older, but they could still pass as seniors.

"Here." I pulled the folders from the small suitcase I had. Reading the names on the corners, I handed them to each pack member. "I called a friend of a friend and got us all paperwork. Chase, Ty, and I are going to be seniors. James and Matt are juniors. Nick, you're going to be a sophomore, which leaves Lilly as a freshman."

"Aww man." Lilly pouted as she took her file. "Why couldn't I be older?"

"Maybe because you look twelve." James laughed as he glanced up from his folder.

"Enough arguing. We have school in two hours."

The moment our SUV turned into the crowded parking lot, all eyes were on us. It seemed that word spread fast about Forks High's latest students. I tried to ignore the whispering as Chase and I got out of the front. Not surprisingly, the male members of the pack instantly drew attention. I caught a few guys looking at me, but I ignored them as I scanned for Bella. Samson had given us several pictures. Spotting the mane of brown hair, a frown pulled at my lips. She wasn't the cheery girl from Samson's photos. She was a zombie.

I made my way towards where she stood next to the over-sized red truck. Students moved out of our way, whispering as we passed them. Several of them even compared us to some Cullen kids. I ignored them as I approached the young girl. She lifted her head like it was effort to do so, her wide eyes scanning each member of my pack before landing on me.

"You're Bella Swan, right?"

She opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of water. "Y-yeah. Do I know you?"

"My name is Alex. Me and my foster-siblings just moved here. We used to live near your grandfather, Samson. He told us a lot about you."

"Oh!" She cracked the smallest smile. "I didn't know Grandpa Sam too well, but he was really nice. My father is really upset about his passing."

My smile softened at this. "Yeah, he was. I'm sorry for your loss."

I stood aside as Ty introduced himself. The poor girl was completely unaware she was shaking hands with her cousin. I could see the strain to refrain from telling her in Tyler's jaw. One by one, each of the pack members introduced themselves. As they did so, I watched Bella's face. She looked almost skeletal. Was this because of her break up with the leech? I imagined I looked much the same when I lost Emmett. A pang of pain shot through me at the thought of my lost imprint. I couldn't even envision his face anymore – it was too painful. Instead, flashes of bright blue eyes and a wide dimpled smile forced its way into my mind.

The ringing of the bell pulled me from my depressing thoughts. Chase was the only one that seemed to notice I was out of it for a few minutes, but he didn't say anything. I knew he would ask questions later though. He was the only one that truly understood my pain. Over the last century, we had held each other together. There were times when he would think of his imprint, and his thoughts would turn dark - the same went for me. We did well to keep it from the rest of the pack, but without each other I doubted we would have made it.

I had a lot of classes with Bella, but that might be due to a little _persuasion_ on my part. I watched her throughout the day, frowning as she practically held herself together at the middle. Was no one realizing this? Why wasn't this girl seeing someone? The whole time I watched her, I had to fight off my own memories of grief. I guess I didn't realize how hard this was going to be.

At lunch, we invited Bella to sit with us. One look at her 'friends' and she agreed. They whispered about Bella, and about us. Something about how _they_ had taken a liking to her too. I could only assume the Cullen's were the vampires. I had never seen any so well integrated into human life. They must not have hunted around Forks, they wouldn't have stayed so long if they did.

After school, I decided it was time to check if the La Push pack was still around. We made sure Bella got home first, of course, frowning when she broke down the second she was inside. After meeting the other pack, we would have to keep a constant eye on her. It seemed the biggest threat to Bella was herself. Shedding my clothes outside the rental house, I phased. Shaking out my long fur I sighed in content. I always loved being in wolf form. It felt decidedly more natural.

One by one, my pack phased to join me. The distance from Forks to La Push was fairly short, so we decided to stretch out legs and run it. As we drew closer to the boarder, I could hear the faint whispering thoughts of the other pack. Wolf packs worked on frequencies. We could tap into each others, but our own pack was our default. With enough training, we could even block out our own pack members.

 _'Who is that?'_ A voice asked. He sounded young. _'A new member?'_

 _'No!'_ This voice was authoritative. He must have been the alpha. _'Get to the boarder! Paul, you too!'_

 _'Easy, buddy.'_ I tried to speak calmly. They seemed panicked, as if they had never come across another pack before… possibly they hadn't. _'My name is Alexander Sterling. My pack and I just moved to Forks. We wanted to come introduce ourselves.'_ I signaled for my pack to stop, our formation a perfect 'V'.

They emerged from woods to step into the small clearing that separated Forks and La Push. _'Small pack.'_ James tilted his large head slightly.

It _was_ one of the smaller packs I had come across. Only three members, and they all seemed fairly new. They watched me with weary eyes, especially the alpha. I could hear them debating if they should trust us. They must not have learned to block out their thoughts yet. Almost my entire pack had learned to do that early on. Lilly was the only one that still had trouble with it now and then.

 _'Who are you?'_

* * *

AN: Reviews are loved! If you guys are interested, I could post face characters/names :)


	8. Chapter Seven - The La Push Pack

AN: For anyone interested in the face characters/what the characters look like I'm going to attempt to put a link here! I included their wolf selves too! You'll have to get rid of the spaces and add periods where the '*' are! If you have trouble, just shoot me a message!

 **oi61 * tinypic* co m/t 6xv0w*jp g**

Also, if you want to know their real ages:

Alex: 109 - Mental/Appearance age: 20

Chase: 365 - Mental/Appearance age: 23

Ty: 95 - Mental/Appearance age: 21

Nick: 76 - Mental/Appearance age: 15

Matt & James: 75 - Mental/Appearance age: 19

Lilly: 41 - Mental/Appearance age: 14

 **This chapter is a little late thanks to FFN being down! On a lighter note, I just wrote the chapter with Emmett! So only a few more chapters! And chapter 10 will be in Emmett's POV!**

* * *

 **Chapter Seven**

 _The La Push Pack_

* * *

"Thank you for your hospitality, Sam." I gave him a smile as we filed into the small fragrant kitchen. Emily, Sam's imprint, immediately offered us food.

"It's no problem. You're the first outside wolves we've met." He kissed Emily as she handed him a loaded plate. "What brings you to Washington, Alex?"

"We're here to keep an eye on the granddaughter of a friend." I took one of the head seats at the table while Sam took the other. There was no need to give them any excess detail, at least not until I knew them better. With a single nod from me, the others sat as well.

Sam watched them follow my wordless command before turning back to me. "You have a large pack. They're very… obedient. I don't mean it as an insult."

"Why would it be an insult?" James asked as he reached over the plate to grab a roll out of the basket. "When you have a good alpha, being obedient is a sign of complete trust and loyalty."

Sam sent a pointed look towards Paul who rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Okay."

I rose an eyebrow, but remained quiet. It wasn't my place to question Sam's pups. "We have others about to phase. I don't understand why though. The leeches left months ago."

I shook my head. Sam knew so little of our kind. He seemed to have done well with what he did know though. "The change takes a while. Some could have begun while they were still here. Some are because of you." I took a bite of chicken, trying not to moan at how good it tasted. Emily could cook for me any time she wanted.

"Me?" He paused with the fork half way to his mouth.

"You're the acting alpha. Your need for a pack will prompt those with the gene to turn. It's not something that can be helped." I shrugged. He seemed upset about this, but didn't comment.

"No more wolf talk!" Emily smiled and clapped her hands. "Right now, we're just new friends having dinner!"

* * *

I sighed as I watched the dark theater. Bella had gone in earlier with her friend, Jessica, I think. The movie had to be nearing an end. I hoped for our sanity, it was. As people started to file out, I stood. We had run in wolf form, trying out the bungees Sam had given us. It was a pretty good way to carry clothes. After an hour, I phased back to duck into the theater and check on Bella. Ty and Chase still stood on either side of me in their wolf form.

"Ty, head back and tell James and Matt that they're on Bella duty once we run her back." He nodded his large silver head before turning and disappearing into the woods. To my right, Chase phased back before quickly slipping on his clothes.

"We have a problem…"

I frowned and followed Chase's gaze to where Bella stood. She was eyeing a group of bikers. It was when she told Jessica she would be right back, I knew Chase was right. We had a problem. The girl was a god damn danger magnet! With a deep growl, I stalked out of the woods, reaching the bikers about the same time Bella did.

"Do you wanna go for a ride?" One of the larger men smiled at her. Another growl ripped from my chest, causing them both to turn to me.

"Alex?"

"She'll pass." I bit out before turning my gaze to Bella. "You should leave, Bella. I'm sure your father will be worried." Guilt flooded her features.

"Well then, how about you baby-" The biker made the mistake of placing his hand on my arm. Out of reflex, I caught his hand, twisting it until I heard a loud snap. "Fuck! This bitch is crazy!"

I resisted the urge to snarl as I released the man's injured hand. "Go. Home. Bella." Chase chose that moment to join me. The bikers backed up, eyeing the tall Native behind me. With a shuttered breath, Bella turned and practically ran back to Jessica. "Consider yourselves lucky." I snapped at the men before taking a step back.

The next day, it seemed like Bella went out of her way to ignore me. I couldn't blame her, nor could I explain the truth to her. I would catch her watching me out of the corner of her eye, as if she was trying to figure me out. I shouldn't have been so careless in front of a human that already knew too much. After school, I had Nick and Lilly watch her. The other guys needed a break, and for the first time in my life, I had homework. The thought was absurd.

When we arrived at the rental house, Sam was waiting on me. I nodded to the others to head inside. When we were alone, Sam finally spoke. "So, Bella Swan is the one you're protecting?"

I rose an eyebrow, but hid my surprise. Was he following us? I surly would have noticed. "How did you find out?" We started walking down the worn dirt path that led into the woods.

"We just got a new member, Jacob Black. We trailed him to Bella's last night, and saw a few of your pack members outside." I would kill James and Matt for not telling me about this.

"Black?" I hummed as I remembered the pack that inhabited La Push the last time I came through. "That's interesting."

"So you know, huh? That Jacob is the rightful alpha."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, like the subject was all he had thought about since Jacob phased. "I know that he was born with the option." I nodded. "Just like my brothers were. They didn't want it. There's a chance Jacob won't either."

"Not likely." He scoffed. "Since I put a ban on him seeing Bella, it feels like he's going out of his way to push my buttons."

"He won't be able to help that." I placed a hand on his shoulder in a gesture of friendship. "Even if he decides to remain under you, it'll be in his nature to try and resist any authority. I imagine your pack will be dealing with a lot of hostility for a while."

"Nothing new there. How do you do it? Your pack is so well formed. They respect your every wish, even when you don't say anything."

"It's all a matter of time. You haven't been a wolf that long, yet alone an alpha. It was decades before I took my first pack member on."

"Decades?" He seemed amused. "Just how old are you?"

I gave him a coy smile. "Hasn't anyone ever told you not to ask a woman's age?"

It was later that night that I relieved Nick and Lilly. I gave the whole pack the night off as I camped in the woods outside Bella's window. There was no need for more than one of us. How much trouble could she get in? I was there when her father got home, greeting her with a gruff hello before dragging himself upstairs. He looked so much like Samson, it was almost startling. I wondered if he would recognize Tyler. It would probably be best to avoid any contact.

Movement out of the corner of my eye caught my attention. With a warning growl, I turned on the wolf. His mind practically screamed at me, uncensored and generally angry with everything. I knew instantly that this must have been Jacob Black.

 _'You're Alex, right?'_

 _'Yes. Jacob?'_

His large head bobbed once before turning towards Bella's window. She was whimpering in her sleep. Images flashed through Jacob's mind. He had a close relationship with her, and it killed him to see her like this. Once again, my mind turned to Emmett. I wondered where he was now… if he was happy. The blonde promised to take care of him, I could only hope she meant it.

 _'She wasn't always like this.'_ Jacob directed his thoughts towards me.

Once again images flashed through his mind. She was bad when the leeches first left, but she was getting better with Jacob's help.

 _'It's hard, to watch someone you love suffer. Especially when you know there is nothing you can do about it.'_

I could hear him wondering if I was speaking from experience. _'How do you keep your mind so quiet?'_

 _'Practice.'_

Once again, his mind turned to Bella. _'I don't even know if she's my imprint. Sam won't let me look at her. He won't even let me anywhere near her!'_

 _'He's just worried. Once you gain more control, I'm sure he'll let you talk to her again.'_

 _'It was working though… She was… I was fixing her…"_

 _"We'll keep her safe until you can step back in."_

We spent the rest of the night in our own heads. I respectfully stayed out of his thoughts, most of which were about Bella. I found myself rooting for the kid. It would be so easy for both of them if he imprinted on her. With a sigh, I turned my eyes back to Bella's window. Fate was never that fair though.

* * *

AN: Reviews are loved!


	9. Chapter Eight - Secrets

AN: This story is so inspiring, and I love it so much that I decided to post two chapters back-to-back! The next chap will have Emmett in it!

* * *

 **Chapter Eight**

 _Secrets_

* * *

"Alex…"

Bella stood in her doorway surprised. I didn't blame her, but she had been avoiding me for weeks and I was getting tired of her dodging me. I thought it best to leave the pack in La Push. Since the Clearwater children phased, we had been spending a lot more time helping Sam. Not only because Seth and Lilly imprinted on each other, but because I was genuinely growing to like them. It would make things difficult if I decided to leave Washington, which I imagined I would do someday. It was one of those things I didn't want to think about until the time came. Leah had asked to join my pack, but I refused her. It didn't go over well, but I simply refused to steal a pack member from a friend. It was practically an unwritten law of our kind.

"Bella… Please don't slam the door on my face. I came to talk to you because you've been avoiding me in school. Can I come in?"

She hesitated for a moment before stepping aside and letting me pass. "Why are you here?" Like before, she wrapped her arms around her middle. If possible, she seemed to be getting worse since Jacob had started avoiding her. Sam would lift the ban soon. Hopefully things would go back to normal after that. Right now, they were all focusing on getting Harry Clearwater's funeral ready.

"Like I said, you've been avoiding me."

"What are you?" She blurted out. The question startled me. I wanted to tell her, but there was no way I could do so without giving away everything. "Are you a vampire? I'm not blind. You and the others aren't normal. You're good looking, and like the supernatural kind of good looking. You're graceful too…You broke that guy's hand like it was nothing, and I could have sworn I saw the twins push a dent out of your car with their bare hands!" God damn it. I would really have to speak with those two. It was like raising teens!

I snorted. "Vampire? Really Bella?" It was absurd on so many different levels.

"I've seen you down in La Push with the other guys. Did you guys do something to Jacob?" She was getting hostile now. "Turn him into whatever the hell you guys are?"

"I'm sure Jacob will come see you any day now, Bella. You just have to be patient."

"No! He was my friend! Sam just stole him away!" She practically screamed before taking a deep breath. "If no one is going to tell me anything, I'm going to go see him on my own."

Before I could stop her, she was out the door. Great. "Wait, Bella!" I jogged a little to catch up with her. It was obvious that she was having some kind of break down. "You probably shouldn't do that."

"I'm going to see Jacob _with_ or _without_ you." I groaned as she hopped into the cab of her truck. This wasn't going to end well. I quickly shot a text to Chase, telling him to get Sam and get over to Jacob's, before hauling myself into the passenger seat.

* * *

"Jacob!" She was flying out of the truck a moment after throwing it in park. I heard Jacob mumble a curse, but he didn't look her way.

Practically ripping the door from the truck, I pushed it open and followed. "Bella! Wait!" But she was already screaming at him.

"Go home, Bella." Alpha order or not, I was surprised at how well Jacob was handling it. Sam had ordered him to not seek Bella out, but said nothing about her coming to him. I watched as Jacob looked Bella in the eyes, only to frown and look away. "Damn it." With a shake of his head, he gave me a sad look before heading inside.

"Bella, we should leave-"

I was cut off by the sound of other guys. Great timing guys, really… I sighed and turned my gaze to both packs making their way out of the woods. Chase's eyes automatically locked onto mine. This wasn't going to be good. Bella practically threw herself in their direction, her feet moving quickly as she tried not to trip on the wet grass.

"What did you do?" She shoved Sam. "He didn't want any part of your little gang, and you got to him anyway!"

"What did we do?" Paul stepped forward, his body shaking. I placed a hand on Bella's arm, pulling her back a few steps so I was in front of her. Paul's angry gaze turned to me. "What did _you_ do? You have no right to tell her anything!"

Several growls came from my pack mates as I fought off my own shaking – my inner alpha ready to put him in his place. " _You_ have no right talking to me like that, underling." This only made his shaking worse.

"Paul, calm down!" Sam yelled, but his shaking was growing violent.

"James, Matt!" I called to the twins. They understood immediately and moved Bella back to stand out of the way between them.

As Paul exploded in a blur of silver fur, I let myself lose control. With a growl, I tore out of my clothes, landing on four snowy-white paws. Behind me, I could hear Bella gasp as Paul and I circled each other menacingly. In the distance, I could hear Jacob slam his front door again, calling out Bella's name as he did so.

 _'I should just kill the leech lover myself!'_

 _'You'll have to go through me, pup!'_

We launched at the same time, meeting mid-air in a flurry of snarls and teeth. My pack watched on, their fingers twitching with the urge to phase. The only reason they didn't was because they knew I could easily take Paul. I twisted and bit at the scruff on the back of his neck as Jacob phased to join us. Paul let out a whimper as his front legs gave out.

 _'Shit! Ouch, okay I get it! I'll play nice.'_

I nearly laughed as I let him go. The peace didn't last long, because the second Paul was on his feet, Jacob was barreling into him. _'You could have hurt Bella!'_

Shaking my large head, I turned to see Embry, Jared, Matt, and James leading Bella away. They would take her to Sam's. Looks like our secret was out. At least it would make things a little easier.

"I have some clothes stashed nearby." Ty offered. I nodded the others off as I followed him into the woods by Jacob's house. I could still hear Paul and Jacob going at it, but they would get it out of their system soon.

Phasing to get some peace and quiet, I thanked Ty as he handed me an oversized shirt. I paused when I noticed his gaze drift over my body. Since he had joined my pack, we had kept our relationship less than physical. It was a different dynamic now. I would be lying if I said I wasn't tempted every now and again. "Don't get any ideas." I smirked at him.

His face broke into an easy smile. "You know, I think if we had met under different circumstances, we would have ended up together."

I hummed. It was an idea I had entertained a few times in the past myself. "Maybe in another life."

When we got back to Sam's, I wasn't surprised to find a table full of food. Emily gave me a cheery hello before ducking back in the kitchen. Bella's eyes moved from the food to me. I gave her a weary smile, almost breathing a sigh of relief when she returned it.

"So… you guys are werewolves?"

"Jacob was right, you _are_ good with weird." Jared laughed and reached across the table for a muffin.

"You alright?" It was Chase's deep voice that pulled my attention to the adjoined living room where my pack sat.

"Of course." I gave him a reassuring smile as Paul, Sam and Jacob joined us.

Paul gave Bella and I a half-assed apology before sitting himself down at the table. I knew all the wolves were on edge because of the redheaded leech that had been running us in circles. She didn't seem like much of a threat. It was like she was tiptoeing around us. It _did_ worry me that even Nick couldn't catch her. It was the weirdest thing. He would be right on top of her, and she would manage to side-step him.

"Maybe Bella can tell us about the leech." Nick offered as he sat at the table. It was like he had read my mind. "She has history with them, right?" Jacob growled, but didn't say anything.

"Leech?"

"Yeah, there's been this red-headed leech running around Forks and La Push." Sam sighed and kissed Emily on the cheek. "It's like she's looking for something, but we don't know what."

From my spot across the room I could hear Bella's heartbeat pick up. That was never a good sign. "I think I know what she wants." Her voice was shaky, and if possible she grew even paler. "Her name is Victoria... I think she wants me..."

Of course she did. "What would she want with you?" Tyler asked, his arms crossed over his chest. As far as I knew, Charlie and Bella were the only family he had left. I wonder if he would tell her the truth now that she knew about us.

"Ed-" She took a breath. Was his name even too painful for her? " _They_ killed her mate. Now she wants to kill me as revenge."

Several growls erupted around me. "Relax." I spoke to my pack, but it seemed to have an effect on the others as well. "It's not ideal, but now that we know what she wants, we can find a way to stop her."

"Easier said than done." There was still an edge to Jacob's voice. "Even Nicolas can't catch her, and he's the fastest wolf I've ever seen. She keeps managing to evade us…"

"Maybe that's her power." We all turned to Bella stunned. She instantly looked guilty. "Some vampires have powers… Alice could see the future… Ed- _He_ could read minds, Jasper could manipulate feelings. Some had lesser abilities. Esme was very compassionate and Em-"

"That's enough." Sam cut her off before turning to me. "Did you know about this?"

"No." I clenched my teeth. "Between me and Chase alone we have over four centuries of experience, and we have never heard about that." They looked shocked at the hint of our ages. "We'll just call this another win as far as gathering information goes."

Sam nodded along, trying to stay positive. "Okay. Now all we have to do is kill the tick."

* * *

AN: I would love reviews! Just so I know there are actually people reading this! lol


	10. Chapter Nine - Repeating The Past

AN: Thank you to everyone that reviewed! You guys have no idea how obsessed I am with this story! I'm in the middle of chapter twelve right now. I'm trying to make the chapters a bit longer, but not boring! This is the chapter you've been waiting for!

* * *

 **Chapter Nine**

 _Repeating The Past_

* * *

"What are the chances of me running into werewolves after my vampire boyfriend leaves me?" I could tell her words were meant to be a joke, but there was an underlying self-hatred in them.

After the rest of the wolves – mostly Jacob – explained some things to her, and got some information on the leech, I brought Bella home. I would be watching her until after dinner so that Sam and I could strategize while the packs were patrolling. She surprised me by inviting me inside. Once again, it seemed Bella had the whole house to herself.

"You would be surprised how often our natural instinct brings us together. It's like the universe is always looking for a good fight." I smiled as she sat opposite my at the tiny kitchen table.

Bella cradled her mug with a frown. "I don't understand why you hate them so much. Not all of them are bad. The Cullen's didn't even feed on humans."

"They're unnatural." I scowled at the thought. "Everything is meant to die, even us. We continue on until we find our imprint, and then we age with them. It's the natural order." Even I knew the hypocrisy in my words. My existence should have ended long ago, after Emmett was lost to me. The wolf and Chase wouldn't allow it though. The wolf believed that there was still a chance for him… for us. I didn't know how Chase managed to carry on as long as he did.

"You said you've been alive for centuries… You and Chase… If you haven't found your imprint by now, how do you know that you didn't just miss your chance?" I winced as my stomach lurched at her words. "I'm sorry! That was insensitive!"

I shook my head and waved off her concern. "I did find my imprint…" I squeezed my eyes shut as painful images sprang to mind. "I lost him."

"I'm so sorry…" She covered her mouth with her hands. "If you don't mind me asking, how did he die?"

"He didn't." I had not meant for my words to be as bitter as they had come out. Instead of looking offended, she just seemed confused. "He was turned into one of _them_." I shook my head, not wanting to picture my innocent Emmett with blood red eyes and sparkling skin.

"But… That means he's still out there. If he's not dead-"

"He's dead to me!" I cut her off, not wanting to hear what my wolf had told me a hundred times. I took a deep breath before continuing. "When you love someone, you'll do anything to save them… Even if that means turning them into your worst nightmare. He's not my imprint anymore, no matter what my wolf says." I stood, giving Bella a parting wave before making my way outside. There was no way a human could understand.

* * *

"With this many wolves, it shouldn't be hard to cover both Forks and La Push around the clock." Sam pointed to several points on the map spread over his kitchen table. Both of our packs were either patrolling or enjoying their Friday night.

"We still have to deal with the issue of catching her." I didn't typically like to think negatively, but if her power _was_ evasion, would we even be able to catch her?

"Even if it's a gift, she's bound to mess up sooner or later, and when she does, we'll be there."

"Sam!" Jacob's panicked voice broke through our bubble of tense concentration. Easing back from the table, I frowned as Ty and Nick came running in after him.

"What are you two doing here? You're supposed to be watching Bella's house."

"She just left with one of the Cullen's." Jacob spat.

My back stiffened instantly. "Is this true?" I growled at my pack mates. They winced lightly and recoiled. They both nodded wordlessly. "Shit. Where did the leech take her?"

"Best I could make out? Italy." I stared at Ty, not quite registering his words.

"Well… shit."

Our strategizing took a back seat as both packs gathered at Sam's house. We had Embry, Jacob, James, and Matt patrolling around both the Swan and Cullen houses. The second they got back we would be there… if they got back. From what Matt said, Charlie was at his wit's end. I couldn't even eat. All I could see was Samson's disappointed stare flashing in my mind. I had promised to protect his only granddaughter, and now she was at some vampire headquarter in Italy. It hadn't even been two months!

"If she's gone, she's not really our problem anymore, is she?" Leah spat, earning a growl from Ty.

"She's family." I replied simply. I pushed my uneaten plate of food towards Seth and sighed. "You should never turn your back on people. Pack or not."

Sam's house became our unofficial base for the night, as pack members from both packs came and went. Emily and Kim tried to keep everyone fed, but around midnight, they dragged themselves upstairs for the night. Patrol switched several times throughout the night. We didn't want to work any one member too hard, since we had so many of them to take their turn.

I had been close to drifting off on Sam's couch around eight in the morning when Chase practically flew into the house, naked as the day he was born. It didn't bother me, I had seen him naked almost as many times as I had seen myself, but some of Sam's guys averted their eyes. I noticed Leah's eyes linger before she caught Sam's disapproving gaze.

"Alex, I need to talk to you." I nodded as Paul and Jared pushed in behind him and pulled Sam aside. I followed Chase into the woods, knowing most of the guys wouldn't be able to hear us there. "They're back. She's with them at their house." My eyebrows twisted in confusion. It was good news, but for the first time since I met Chase, he seemed nervous.

"What is it? Was she turned?"

"No, she's fine from what I can tell. Alexandria… You can't go over there." I was shocked at his words. What on earth did he mean? "We need to leave. Now."

"Why the hell would we do that? Maybe you forgot, but I made a promise to Samson."

He sighed, running a large hand over his face. I had never seen Chase so worked up. Whatever was worrying him must have been serious. "Bella is safe. I'm telling you, we need to leave." His deep voice was almost challenging.

"You're more than welcome to leave, but I have to check on her." I snapped before turning away from him. Ignoring Chase's voice calling my name, I broke out into a sprint.

I didn't bother phasing as I ran towards the vamp's house. It wasn't very far, and I wanted to make sure I was clothed when I marched into their house and yanked Bella out by her pretty brown hair. She had me terrified for her. She knew I was trying to help her, and she didn't even bother to leave a note. Don't even get me started on how hard poor Jacob took it.

When I reached their house, I practically had to hold my breath. The stench was overwhelming. With my chin held high in defiance, I marched up to the front door and knocked three times. I could hear them whispering inside, but couldn't make out what was being said. If I wasn't angry at Chase, I would have had him come with me and listen in.

After a few moments, the door swung open. "Yeah- oh, you one of Bella's dogs..."

I froze. My eyes didn't move away from his. No, not his. They were wrong. They weren't the clear blue I had known and loved, nor were they blood red. They were a golden honey. His lips were pulled back into a familiar dimpled smile – still laughing at his own jokes I see. I gasped when my lungs begged me to breathe. _No…_ My feet moved backwards as his smile turned to puzzlement. I silently cursed myself for not listening to Chase.

"Hey. You alright?" He reached a hand towards me, and I jumped back away from it.

Behind him, the blonde from all those years ago made an appearance. She froze when she saw me, her mouth falling open slightly. I squeezed my eyes shut as memories began to overwhelm me. I had blocked out his face for so long, that they were almost painful. Another leech joined them, his eyes darting between us. From Jacob's mind, I realized he was Edward – the mind reader. I suppressed a sob as the memories replayed again. Emmett at the diner, by the cabin, kissing, touching, loving. It was all too much. It was like the imprint returned full forced wracking my body with more pain than I thought possible.

"Emmett…" All I could do was breathe his name as I clutched at my chest.

He tilted his head like a confused puppy. "I thought you looked kind of familiar. Do I know you?"

That cut like a knife. He looked at me with such worry and compassion, for a moment I forgot that he was a leech. For that brief moment, he was my Emmett. That cut worse. "You don't know her." Chase's deep voice called from behind me.

I couldn't bring myself to turn and look, but I knew the whole pack and some of Sam's were there. A strong arm wrapped around me, pulling me into his chest and breaking my focus on Emmett. I clutched at Chase's newly found shirt as he cradled me. I should have listened to him. He wouldn't have told me to leave unless it was something _this_ bad.

"Are you sure? You both kinda look familiar…" I could hear the playful edge return to his voice, but it was wrong. My Emmett's voice was gruffer with a twang. _This_ is why I left him with them.

"Emmett, come inside. Bella needs some help with lunch." The blonde's soothing voice cut in over his.

"Yeah… Yeah, sure thing babe."

My inner wolf howled as the sound of him kissing her echoed in my ears like a gun shot. I couldn't control it anymore. I ripped away from Chase, hardly making it off the porch before I phased. I threw my head back in a howl as the pain ripped through me. It might have been the chicken thing to do, but I ran, and as my pack phased behind me, I couldn't bring myself to keep my mind quiet. They all whimpered as I relived losing my imprint all over again.

* * *

AN: I know a lot of you were hoping that Emmett would remember her, but I think it's better this way. One of the reasons I skipped a big chunk of their time together in the 1930's was so that Emmett could have flashbacks. He'll remember her eventually, it's just going to take some time. Remember, Emmett has essentially lived a second life by this time. The next chapter is going to be in Emmett's POV! Reviews are loved so much!


	11. Chapter Then - Emmett's POV – Disc

AN: Thank you guys so much for your support and reviews! The last chapter was a bit rough on me as well! Don't worry though, our Alex is a tough one! This chapter is in Emmett's POV, and I gotta say, I loooooved writing through his eyes. So much so, that every few chapters we will have one from Emmett's POV. It also inspired the next chapter which will show the different points of view of the pack members! But I'll talk more about that in the next chapter! Enjoy! If you guys are wondering, updates are every Sat & Wed.

I'm super excited to announce that I have officially launched a tumblr page for this profile! You can go there to see random update news, outtakes, and spoilers! We can also chat! Just remove the spaces and replace the '*' with periods! I'm **so** excited, I decided to post this chapter early! This weekend's chapter might be a little late though :x

aliceatheartfanfiction * tumblr * co m

* * *

 **Chapter Ten**

 _Emmett's POV – Discovering The Past_

* * *

I helped a sleepy Bella make a sandwich, something she totally could have made on her own. I wasn't a child, even if I _did_ act like it most of the time. That woman at the door… She was familiar. I don't know how, but I just _know_ I've seen her before. For some reason it really upset me to see her sad. Which, by the way, I didn't understand. Had I done something to her? Maybe I left her at the pound or something. I snickered at my inner thoughts as I oh-so-expertly cut Bella's sandwich.

I let my gaze drift behind her to where Edward and Rose still argued in the entry way. Well, might as well listen in!

"He has a right to know, Rosalie!" Edward hissed in a low voice. "Do you really think you can keep him in the dark?"

"What's in the past should _stay_ in the past. When we turn, we leave our human lives behind us. Emmett might not have chosen this life, but _she_ did."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." I held up my hands and walked over to them. "What aren't you guys telling me? Is it about how that girl totally freaked out when she saw me? And not in the usual way women freak out around me." I gave them a wide smile which slowly shrank when they looked away. "Oh… it is."

"Emmett, there's something you need to see." Edward started up the stairs, motioning for me to follow him.

"Edward… Please don't so this!" Rosalie's thin lips twisted in a frown. She looked to me, her eyes pleading.

"Sorry Rose-bud. If it's about my past, I kinda want to know. Maybe I can fix whatever is wrong between me and the mutt."

She wordlessly watched me follow Edward upstairs, and out of sight. I was confused when he walked straight for the attic door. As far as I knew, Carlisle and Esme only kept old junk they've collected over the years up there. I followed him up the dusty stairs, flicking on the light when we reached the top.

"This has been up here a while." He walked over to one of the far walls, sliding an old shoe box from a stack. "Carlisle kept it in case you ever wanted to know about your human life, but Rose made us promise to not show you unless you asked."

I frowned as he handed me the box. "Why wouldn't Rose want me to see what's in here?"

He sighed and sat on an old trunk. "It's the stuff you had on you when you were turned. Well, what was left after the bear attack."

I rose an eyebrow at this. Oh. "Well, no use dragging this out."

I pulled the top off and set in on a shelf next to me. The first thing I saw were what could only be described as cloth strips. I realized quickly that it was once a shirt. Holy shit! The bear really _had_ done a number on me. I placed in to the side, disappointed to see only two more things sitting at the bottom. The first was a tiny velvet box. With one hand, I carefully opened it. Oh… In the center of the age-word velvet lining sat a huge diamond ring in a simple gold band. I was apparently going to propose to someone. It was weird, to think of myself with anyone other than Rose. After all, she was all I knew in _this_ life. Carefully placing it on top of the shirt, I turned back and lifted the last item from the box. It was a pocket watch. I could tell it had been a polished silver at one point, but dried blood had settled in the design.

"That's it? You brought me up here to tell me that I was once in love with someone and knew how to tell time?"

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose. I loved when I could make him do that. "Open the watch, Emmett."

"Pushy." I mumbled, pushing in the tiny button.

The clock hands themselves didn't move – not that I expected them too. What caught my attention was the picture pressed against the inside of the top. Looking closely at the grainy black and white photo, I was stunned. There I stood, my smile wider than I thought possible, with my arms wrapped around the tiny brunette that had just recoiled from me only a few minutes ago. In the background was a large diner. I squeezed my eyes shut as the diner flashed through my mind in full color. I had known that diner… That's right! It had been my mother's!

"Oh…" I breathed as my eyes went back to the she-wolf.

"You've said that a lot today."

"No, I've thought it! You're just nosy!" I put everything back in the box, quickly covering it again. This was dangerous, I could see why Rose didn't want me anywhere near this stuff. Placing the box on a shelf, I brought a hand to my chest. It was weird, but I could have sworn there was an ache there. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Edward frowning at me. "Don't give me that look Ed-weird. I don't even remember her."

Deciding it would be better just to lay low for a while, I headed down stairs and joined Bella in the living room. Rosie wasn't in the house anymore, which meant she probably went for a hunt. Throwing myself down on the couch next to my favorite human, I let myself get absorbed in whatever Lifetime crap she was watching. I tried not to think of the contents in the box upstairs, or the brief flash of memory I had of my mother's diner.

"You're her imprint aren't you?" Bella's voice drew my attention. Edward gave us a worried look from her other side. When had he joined us? Fucking mind reading ninja vamp.

"I have no idea what that means." I shrugged and turned my eyes back to the T.V. They should just call this the 'Men Are Horrible' channel.

"Wolves – when they find their imprint it's like love at first sight. It's an unbreakable love. Their imprint becomes their whole world. Alexandria said her imprint got turned into a vampire… And well, I saw the way she reacted to you."

Alexandria…

* * *

 _"Bridget, I was wondering where you went!" I looked to my very pregnant sister with a wide smile. It was her first baby, and we were all excited for the newest McCarty._

 _"I was greeting our guest! This is Alexandria."_

 _I turned to her only to freeze. She wasn't dressed up like all the other party guests, but she seemed to shine brighter. Her caramel hair fell around her face in loose waves, but all I could see were her eyes. It was like the air was knocked out of me. I used to make fun of my father for saying that he fell in love with my mother the instant he saw her… now that didn't seem so unrealistic. Alexandria… She was perfect. It didn't escape my notice that Bridget looked between us with a large smile._

 _"It's a pleasure to meet you." I managed to make my voice work, my accent thicker than usual. "Truly… A pleasure."_

* * *

I shook off the memory, quickly standing. I tried to hide just how shaken up I was, but Edward's sympathetic gaze told me he had seen everything. Awesome. I wordlessly made my way out of the house, and out of Edward's mind reading rang. There were a lot of questions I had, unfortunately, there was only one person that could give me answers, and I didn't think she was my biggest fan.

I jumped the small stream as I came to it, settling on a rock on the other side. Bella said the imprint love was unbreakable… Did that mean she still loved me? I frowned at the thought. Probably not if she let me go off with Rose. Did I know about her being a wolf when I was human? If the love is instant, is it instant for both sides? If that was the case, maybe I never really loved her at all and was under some kind of werewolfy spell. Again, I shook my head. There was no use asking myself questions I couldn't answer.

* * *

AN: This one is a little short, but the next one will be longer! Reviews are loved!


	12. Chapter Eleven Through The Eyes --

AN: I'm so glad that you guys liked the last chapter! I'm sorry if I upset some of you! Your reviews have been AMAZINGLY overwhelming! If you haven't checked out my Tumblr page yet, I suggest you do so! After posting new chapters, I post a spoiler from the next one! That means that by the time you read this, there will be a chapter twelve spoiler up!

Just remove the spaces and replace the '*' with periods!

aliceatheartfanfiction * tumblr * co m

This chapter is long! It shows everyone reacting to Alex/Emmett through their own eyes! I thought it would be great to get inside the packs' minds and get to know them better!

* * *

 **Chapter Eleven**

 _Through The Eyes Of The Pack_

* * *

 _Alex's POV_

* * *

I growled as I paced back and forth in front of Sam's house. The last place I wanted to be was in Forks. I had never been more thankful for an invisible line. The rest of my pack was patrolling, their minds closed off to me. I had moved past the point of sad and plunged into anger. I had no reason to be angry – the logical side of myself knew that, but it didn't stop me from cursing every leech that had ever existed. My wolf clawed at my mind, reminding me that her imprint was close enough to see. The ache in my chest throbbed once at the thought. No, there was no way I would let Emmett Mc- _Cullen_ shake me. He wasn't my imprint, he was a completely different person… a monster.

 _'Alex?'_ Lilly's timid voice pulled me from my cloud of anger. I looked to her. She nearly cowering as her ears flattened against her head. _'One of the leeches is at the boarder… she's asking for you.'_

The image of the blonde flashed through her mind. Great. Perfect. I could use a good punching bag. I brushed Lilly's head with my own as I walked past her. My anger was in no way directed at my pack. I took my time reaching the boarder, going over several scenarios in my head. Part of me wanted to provoke her and use her to get some of my frustrations out. I knew not all the hostility was mine. The wolf didn't like Emmett's new _mate._ It was almost laughable. If I decided I wanted Emmett, she wouldn't stand a chance. The imprint was practically bending the universe to bring us together. What were the chances that Samson's granddaughter just so happened to be dating one of the members of Emmett's coven? I had to believe the imprint was at work here... It always was.

I came to a stop at the border, eyeing the angry looking blonde. "It's kind of hard to talk to someone when they can't answer." She sounded as frustrated as I felt.

With a smug smirk, I phased. I didn't acknowledge her outraged look as I picked several twigs and a leaf from my hair. "Better, Princess?"

"Not particularly." She crossed her arms and steadied her gaze.

"Well you asked for it." I shrugged and matched her stance. "I assume you're not here to braid my hair and share secrets."

"I came to talk about Emmett."

"What a surprise."

"Could you drop the sarcasm? You have no right to get hostile with me. I did exactly what you asked me to do."

"I don't remember asking you to sleep with him. Then again, your kind doesn't exactly sleep. You just lurk around in the shadows waiting for your next victim." I could use some sleep myself, but I would be damned if it happened any time soon.

"Whatever, cur. I came to tell you to stay away from Emmett. He's moved on."

I rose an eyebrow. I had pretty much planned to already, but I didn't want her to think it was her doing. Maybe my possessive nature was just what I needed right now. "Touchy. Are you afraid he'll remember me? That he'll remember what we had?... That he still loves me?" I couldn't keep the cutting edge from my throat. "What if I don't want to?"

"Is that a threat?" She hissed, her features twisting in anger with every question.

"Step over the treaty line and find out." I challenged with a grin that showed my teeth in a threatening way.

"Ladies-" Sam cut in as he walked out of the woods with nothing but cutoffs on. "I'm sure you have a lot to work out, but getting hostile is just going to cause problems for everyone."

"Sure." I smirked and eyed the blonde again. "If you'll excuse me, I have to get ready for school."

* * *

 _Chase's POV_

* * *

I felt her pain, even now when we weren't connected. I felt her lose her imprint all over again, and I lost mine. I closed my eyes, composing myself as I hunched over the bathroom sink. That was how they knew me, how they had to. The pain was bearable now, but I still remember the image of my dead imprint. Alexandria was the only one who knew what it felt like, even though she was getting a second chance. My wolf was not happy about losing his imprint, but he was pacified. There were more important things to worry about, and other potential mates. I had to believe that.

A knock at the door drew me from my thoughts. I pulled it open just enough to see through. "What?"

My tone wasn't off-putting to Nicolas, it never seemed to be. While others cowered away from my harsh attitude, Nicolas hardly blinked. "Alex wants us to get ready for school." His usual smile was in place, but it was just a shadow of true happiness. We all felt her pain.

"Fine." He paused for a minute before shaking his head and walking away.

I wasn't an idiot, I knew what Nicolas felt for me. How was I supposed to react to that? How was I supposed to not break someone's heart in this situation? Deciding I had hidden enough, I dragged myself into Sam's living room. I was surprised to see only Leah there. Emily must have given the younger members of Sam's pack a ride to school. Sitting down next to her, I planned to wait for my alpha in silence.

"So, what's the deal with you and Alex?" So much for my plan. I glanced sideways at the typically angry female. I knew what she was implying, as ridiculous as it was.

"She is my alpha – my sister." I clarified. I was – as Alex put it – a man of few words. I lived by the belief that words should not be wasted on nonsense. It was one of the things that drove me crazy about Nicolas when he first joined. However, I understood where Leah was coming from. Even if I didn't see Alex like that, we _did_ have a close relationship.

"So, you're not seeing anyone?"

I could feel my jaw tighten under my skin as my imprint's lifeless face flashed across my mind again. "No. I'm not."

"Sooo." She dragged it out as she smiled at me. The smile seemed forced and came across as uncomfortable. "Would you want to go out some time?"

"You're not my type." It might have been a little too blunt because her face automatically twisted into the familiar mask of anger she had worn since we first met.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" I could practically see the steam rising from her.

I sighed and brushed my hair back over my shoulder. I found this whole conversation pointless. "You're not a man."

"I- what?" The fish-out-of-water look was almost enough to make me laugh, and I _never_ laughed. Very few people knew of my sexuality, not that I was ashamed of it. Alex knew, of course, and the twins had managed to worm their way into my memories one day when I fell asleep in wolf form. Tyler, Lilly, and Nicolas had no idea.

"I'm gay. I like men." I tried to be as clear as possible.

"But… You had an imprint."

"Yes, and _he_ was the only person I'll ever love."

"Oh…"

With that, we fell back into a silence.

* * *

 _Nick's POV_

* * *

I'm not sure what I ever did to Chase to make him hate me. I knew it probably had something to do with my energy level, which I'll admit is pretty high. But, no matter how mean he was to me, no matter how he tried to push me away, I felt myself drawn to him. It has started out as infatuation at the beginning. He was this older, knowledgeable (sexy), wolf… It was different now. I knew he was hurting, I could see it in his eyes. He never talked though, not about his imprint. I tried asking Alex about her, but she said it wasn't her place. So, where did that leave me?

"Hey, we're leaving." Lilly's soft voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Okay." A smile automatically sprang to my lips. It didn't feel real though, not with everything going on.

We piled into the SUV, each of us exchanging looks as Alex drove us wordlessly. She seemed composed, but it felt a lot like the calm before the storm. The pain she had felt – that she had unwillingly shared with us – was crippling. Did she still feel that now? Her back was straight and her clothes were neat. Looking at her, you wouldn't guess anything was wrong. As much as I cared for Chase, I didn't want Alex to become his copy…

* * *

 _James' POV_

* * *

I was going to kill him. I was going to have Matt hold his arms while I ripped his stupid sparking head off of his stupid sparkling shoulders. There were very few people I trusted as much as I trusted Matt, Alex was one of them. It killed me to see her in pain – no – kill isn't the right word. It pissed me the fuck off. I get it wasn't the leech's choice to become what he is, but _how_ could he not remember Alex? She thought about him all the fucking time. Even when she thought she shut us out, her painful memories would slip through. Matt and I exchanged a look as we rode in silence. He was angry too, I could see it in his eyes. Matt was a gentle soul though, and probably wouldn't do anything about it. Me? I'll fucking kill him. No joke. Dead.

"Don't forget you have to stay late at school." Lilly's soft voice reminded us. In unison, Matt and I groaned.

You tell one teacher to fuck off, and all of a sudden, it's two weeks of detention with a threat of suspension. The worst part? The bitch gave Matt detention too because she couldn't tell us apart, and didn't know which of us to blame. It really sucked sometimes, being seen as a unit. There were times when I wished Matt and I were just brothers instead of twins, but other times… _most of the time_ I was glad. People would probably consider us co-dependent, but we've never been separated for more than a few hours. It was something Alex understood, so she always gave us patrol together. Sure, we've gotten comments from outsiders, especially since joining high school. There seems to be a 'twincest' rumor going around _ha!_ But hey, it drives the ladies crazy, so I wasn't about to correct anyone I overheard. I don't really care what a bunch of high school humans think anyway. I'm too old for that shit.

"They're already here." Tyler's gruff voice pulled everyone out of their thoughts. I think we all held our breath...

* * *

 _Matt's POV_

* * *

Stepping out of the car was like stepping into one of those old westerns where there is a crowd waiting for a shootout between a cowboy and an outlaw. I was sure Chase wouldn't really enjoy the imagery. Apparently, he had less than a fondness for that time period.

On one end of the parking lot, the Cullen's stood, their eyes fixated on us. On the other end was us, though I didn't know who the outlaw in this situation was. Apparently I wasn't the only one feeling the tension. Students whispered and gave us a wide berth. I placed my hand on Alex's shoulder when I noticed she wasn't moving. I followed her gaze to the leech, her once-upon-a-time romance. The way he looked at her was… odd. It wasn't love, but it wasn't hatred either. It was almost… remorseful? Curious? Somewhere in between I think.

James placed his hand on her other shoulder, meeting my eyes. This wasn't good. Alex never let anything shake her, it was what made her a good leader. She thought objectively and never let her emotions go to her head. Now that her imprint had all but come back from the dead that seemed to be changing. This was bad… Hopefully she would snap out of this soon.

"Let's go inside." It wasn't an order, just a plea. My words seemed to break the spell he had on her, and she turned to me with a sad smile.

"Yeah."

* * *

 _Lilly's POV_

* * *

I didn't say anything, I hardly ever did. It wasn't because I was like Chase and felt like there was nothing to say, I had a lot to talk about! However, I had always been shy. It started with what my father put me through, and I could never really shake it. Seth was helping me open up more, though he didn't know my whole story yet. How could I explain to him that I was damaged without my consent?

"Hey… You alright?" I looked up at Nick and smiled.

Ever since joining the pack, Nicolas had been like an older brother to me. He was the one person I could talk to openly. I liked that he always looked on the brighter side of things, even in situations like this. He was getting sad too though. I could hear it in his mind when he phased. His little crush on Chase had grown into something more… He loved him.

If Chase knew, he didn't give any indication. The rest of us knew, even if we didn't talk about it. Tyler thought it was hopeless, especially since Nick might imprint one day. I think he was just bitter too. He had feelings for Alex, though I didn't know how strong they were. I knew about their past, it was hard not to with the way rumors spread. I think he cared for her, but knew better than to let himself fall completely. With the vampire back in the picture that was probably a good thing. I might not have talked a lot, but it gave me a chance to observe. If we didn't leave soon, this would just be the beginning of the tension.

* * *

 _Ty's POV_

* * *

I took Alex's hand in mine as we walked across the parking lot, half for support, half to rub it in the leech's face that she had options. She gave my hand a small squeeze, but didn't even turn her gaze away from the front door. The leech's eyes dropped to our hands, but his expression was unreadable. _That's right asshole, you're not the only one in the picture. I suggest you get your ass in gear before you miss your chance._ I wasn't in love with her or anything, I knew better than to let myself get tangled up in a stupid love triangle, but I loved her like family. Like she said, in another life we would have been together, but it just wasn't destined in this one.

Admittedly, when I first met Alex, I hated her. I thought she was just another alpha looking to put us lesser wolves in our place. I learned quickly that she was nothing like that. She came off as harsh and diplomatic, but she loved the pack with her whole heart. I would be damned if I let someone hurt her. If this leech wanted to hurt our alpha, he would have to go through each pack member to do it.

* * *

 **Reviews are loved!**


	13. Chapter Twelve - Fighting

AN: I keep forgetting that the chapter I'm writing is like 2-3 chapters ahead of the posted chapters, so I read some of your reviews and get confused! lol Here is the next one!

If you haven't checked out my Tumblr page yet, I suggest you do so! After posting new chapters, I post a spoiler from the next one!

Just remove the spaces and replace the '*' with periods!

aliceatheartfanfiction * tumblr * co m

* * *

 **Chapter Twelve**

 _Fighting_

* * *

If I thought arriving at the school was tense, lunch was worse. As it turns out, the table we had been sitting at was formally the Cullen's. Most of them didn't seem to care, but the blonde was obviously still peeved from our earlier encounter. I could hear Edward tell her to leave it alone, but she practically spit venom in his face. Bella curled more into his side, sending us a sympathetic smile. I would have to have a talk with her alone. I was supposed to be protecting her, not watching her throw herself at a leech again. If she was going to do that, I might as well leave… The wolf didn't like that idea at all.

"You're at our table." The blonde practically slammed her hand down on the wood as she hissed. Several of my pack members growled in response.

"I must not have gotten the memo that the cafeteria seats were assigned." I took a long swig of water as her face contorted even more. "Besides, you don't even eat. What good would a lunch table do you?"

I was aware of the attention we were drawing, but the primal part of me didn't care. A fire erupted in my stomach and up my spine as Emmett approached. "Rose, come on, it's just a table." I couldn't help but notice that even though he spoke to her, his eyes were on me. The blonde seemed to notice to.

"I won't let her take what's mine." His eyebrows shot up. It was obvious that she wasn't talking about the lunch table.

With the tiniest of smirks, I stood to match her stance. "I always get what I want. I don't give a rat's ass if you've claimed it as yours or not."

"I'm not going to give up without a fight." Her tone was more level now, more serious.

"Either am I."

"Umm… are we still talking about the table?" Emmett scratched the back of his head and let an easy laugh pass through his lips. I couldn't help but left my features soften as I turned to him. His personality hadn't changed much. He was always one to make light of a situation.

* * *

 _1933_

 _Gatlinburg_

* * *

 _"I was wondering where you went off too." Emmett smiled down at me, his bright blue eyes shining in the dim lights that they hung in the barn._

 _"I just thought I would rest a bit." I put on my best fake smile. Behind Emmett, I could still hear the women talking._

 _I knew they were jealous of how much attention I had been getting from Emmett, but that didn't mean their words didn't hit a nerve. They spoke about how much better Emmett was than me; how his family was of a higher class. It was true enough, hell, all my clothes were borrowed from Bridget. Emmett followed my gaze, a deep frown pulling at his perfect lips._

 _"You shouldn't let the Adams sisters get to you. They gossip about everyone." I shrugged his words off. "Come on, Darlin'." Again, a bright smile lit up his features as he held out his hand._

 _"Where are we going?" I placed my hand in his much larger one and allowed him to pull me towards the center of the barn._

 _"We're gonna dance!" My eyes widened as he turned to hold his arms out to me._

 _"I don't dance!" I whispered, allowing him to take me in his arms nonetheless. "And everyone is watching!"_

 _"Well, let's give them something to talk about then." He cupped my cheek with one hand and brought his lips to cover mine. My breath caught instantly as I was wrapped in the warm feeling that filled my body. "Just follow my lead." He winked, his large smile in place. With a shuttered breath, I let him show me the dance steps._

* * *

 _Present Day_

* * *

"Let's go Emmett." The blonde snapped, her eyes rolling as she flipped her hair.

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding as Emmett gave me one more small smile before following the leech. Slowly, I let myself sink back into my seat. "I didn't know you wanted him back." Ty rose an eyebrow, but there was no judgment in his tone.

"Neither did I." I mumbled as I watched Emmett walk off. The wolf made the decision for me. I would fight for Emmett. I had to believe that there was still a part of him in there. Now, I just had to figure out my approach.

The rest of the week seemed to pass by in a blur, every day growing tenser. Emmett was in a few of my classes, but so was Rosalie. I hadn't been able to talk to him one on one yet, but there would be times when our eyes would meet, and it would be easy to see them as a light blue again. It wasn't until Friday night that I really got to speak with him, and that was just a coincidence.

My eyes traveled from Bella's window to where Emmett stood only a few feet away from me. Ever since their return, the Cullen's have been working full force to help us take out the red head. It _was_ the least they could do. Still, she managed to evade us. Edward had contacted Sam earlier, informing him of his plan to send Bella to her mother's for the weekend. She would leave in the morning, giving us the chance to concentrate on the leech. Until then, it appeared that Emmett and I were on guard duty. I could only assume Blondie didn't know. I let out a deep breath through my nose. It might not be the ideal situation, but I needed to talk to him. With my mind made up, I allowed myself to phase.

"Whoa!" I couldn't help but smirk as Emmett's eyes quickly darted to me and away. "You're uh- you're a bit naked."

"Nothing you haven't seen before." I shrugged as he pulled off his shirt and thrust it into my hands.

"Yeah, but I kinda don't remember." I slipped his shirt over my head, eyeing his bare chest. Was it possible that he was in even better shape now? "Man, I'm not gonna be able to get this out of my head before seeing Edward." He mumbled, causing my smirk to stretch into a smile.

"I thought this would be a good time to talk, since your lesser half isn't here."

"Rose really isn't that bad once you-…" He paused, looking me over now that I was covered. "You cut your hair." The corners of his lips pulled into a deep frown.

"Oh… Yeah, just this morning." I ran a hand through my short bob courtesy of Emily. She even added some shaggy bangs and feathered layers. The woman seriously missed her calling as a hair dresser. "Does it bother you?" I watched him, wondering if he remembered.

"Yeah… I – I think we talked about this before… I can't really remember." It was my turn to frown as he brought a large hand to his temple.

"You always liked it long." I offered. "You said you liked the way it fell."

"At my mother's Christmas party." His eyes lit up as the memory came back to him. "You told my mother you were thinking about cutting it because it was getting in the way, which I didn't really understand."

Guilt flooded me. "For the record, I had planned on telling you the night you-" I took a shuttered breath. After all this time, it was still hard to talk about. "The day of your accident." When he didn't respond, I looked to him again only to find him watching me with sad eyes. "What?"

"I guess I'm just realizing how real these memories are for you. For me, they're like remembering parts of a dream. They're foggy and don't make much sense by themselves, but they're familiar. It's just hard to wrap my head around that they actually happened, that _we_ actually had a past." I nodded. I guess I could understand where he was coming from. "And I don't hold it against you. Living this life, I know how important it is to keep a secret like that… I just don't understand why you did if we were so in love."

I was sure he didn't mean his words to be like a punch to the gut, but they knocked the wind out of me nonetheless. "We were." I frowned, wanting to drive the point home. I turned so I was fully facing him. "I loved you Emmett, more than any creature could have. The imprint was so strong and so instant that it was hard to remember my life before you… It was also the reason I was so afraid. How was I was I going to know you wouldn't run when you found out what I was? Or worse, question if the imprint was responsible for everything." He immediately looked away. "You do, don't you? You think it's the imprint that made you fall in love with me all those years ago."

Panic rose in my throat before I could stop it. It shouldn't matter now, we were back at square one. "I'm not saying that… exactly." He sighed and turned to lean against a tree so he was facing me. "I just don't remember supposedly being in love with you, and now you're here and my memories are coming back…" He looked at the ground before meeting my eyes again. "I haven't told Rosie, but it's like you're calling out to me. All the time. I just know where you are… It's like I can _feel_ you."

Hope blossomed in my chest. The imprint was still alive in him too. "That _is_ the imprint, but it doesn't force you to feel things that aren't there. The imprint points us out to each other and throws us together head first. Anything after that is all you."

We fell into a short silence, my words hanging between us. "You smell good too." He added. It was so blunt and random, I couldn't help but laugh. A heat spread across my spine as he smiled and his shoulders relaxed. "Seriously, I've never met a wolf that actually smelled good to me before."

"You smell good too." I brought the collar of the borrowed shirt up to my nose, giving it a quick sniff. It was covered in the scents of the other leeches, but underneath it all, his scent was surprisingly familiar. "It's the same as when you were human, but stronger." When I looked back to him, I found him watching me with an intense gaze. It made my heart skip a beat. I couldn't remember the last time he looked at me like that… "I suppose you want this back." I reached for the hem of the shirt, but he held his hand up.

"Keep it. I'm an old man at heart, and I don't like the idea of a woman running around naked in the woods."

I let a smile pull at my lips. I could sense Chase drawing closer for the shift change. "Won't your _mate_ mind?" I couldn't help but spit out the word as a large black wolf appeared at my side.

"Nah, Rose'll be okay with it."

With a glance to Chase, I turned to head back to the rental house. Pausing a few feet away, I looked back to Emmett with a smile, pleased that his eyes had already been on me. "For the record, McCarty, you never had a problem chasing me through the woods wearing a whole lot less than this."

* * *

 **AN: Reviews are loved!**


	14. Chapter Thirteen - Emmett's POV Tricky

**AN: So, it's early, but I've had such a wave of inspiration, I thought I would go ahead and post another chapter! I'm actually writing chapter eighteen now, so I'm waaay ahead lol. I've also decided to start posting chapter previews at the end of each chapter :3 enjoy!  
**

* * *

 **Chapter Thirteen**

 _Emmett's POV – Tricky Situations_

* * *

Oh boy… I was in trouble. Mate or not, I wasn't blind. It was easy to see how human me had fallen for Alex so quickly. She possessed the same supernatural allure we all did, and was old enough to know how to use it. I cleared my throat as I met eyes with the large wolf that had taken her place. He was watching me with deep impassive eyes. It was a bit unsettling. Luckily, Jasper showed up only a few minutes later for his shift. He gave me a questioning look, but I shrugged him off. It had to be the imprint that made her so… I couldn't describe my attraction.

As it turned out, Rosalie was very _not_ okay with me returning home shirtless. It only got worse when she forced me to tell her where it was. I was currently getting the silent treatment. I could practically _feel_ Edward probing at my brain.

 _Lalalalala – Not thinking about Alex's boobs – lalala…_ Edward looked up from his book to send me a questioning look. Damn. _How about you give me some breathing room, huh?_

"We don't breathe." He stated plainly as he turned his gaze back to the book in his hands.

"Whatever, I'm gonna go see if Rose is still angry" He waved a hand, not bothering to look up.

With a sigh, I dragged myself up the stairs. I was almost to the bedroom door when Alice practically ran into me. "Oh! You're home."

"Where else would I be?" I was surprised by her soft tone. Usually, you couldn't shut the little pixie up!

"I can't tell these days. The wolves block my vision… Emmett-" Her voice dropped into a whisper as she said my name. Leaning in, she frowned. "Are you having a hard time choosing between Rosalie and the wolf?"

I was shocked at her question. At least she had the good sense to talk low enough so that Rosalie wouldn't overhear. "No… No! Why?" I was suddenly glad Jasper wasn't around. Even I couldn't identify the emotion that welled inside my chest. Was that… guilt?

"I can't see your future anymore… So either you're wavering between the two, or you've already chosen _her_."

* * *

I couldn't go to Rose after talking to Alice. It wasn't that I agreed with what she said, but that I was so confused. Memory after memory kept coming back to me, and it was hard to make sense of them all. I loved Rosie… didn't I? I knew it was probably the imprint pulling me towards Alex, but I couldn't shake it. Luckily, I didn't have to dwell on the thought. Around seven in the morning, Edward drove Bella to the airport. He met us at the treaty line not long after.

The wolves were there, growling and tense. It wasn't like we were going to attack them or anything, but they still shook – like they were holding themselves back. I felt a pull in my chest, almost an impulse. My gaze drifted over to the large white wolf that watched me with unreadable eyes. I knew it was her, even in this form. She and her pack stood separate from Sam's. It was almost as if they were pointing out the fact that they were neutral.

"Emmett!" Rosalie hissed. It was the first time she had spoken to me since the night before. "Stop staring at the mutt!"

A deep growl erupted from several wolves, but Alex's eyes only narrowed. How did I get caught in the middle of this again? I tried to shake the mental image of Rose and Alex mud wrestling over me as Alice explained her vision. We would split up and cover each side of the treaty line, Alex's pack splitting the line. It was a good plan, I just hoped we could pull it off. I was over everything trying to kill Bella. Edward shot me a dark look. _Relax Dick-ward, Bella's like a sister to me, but she's kind of a danger magnet._ He shook his head and looked away.

With a flash of red, we were off. I wasn't sure how Victoria was doing it, but she managed to out run us all. One of Alex's wolves almost had her twice, his big jaws tearing off the arm of her jacket. That snapped the smile off her face. She became even more serious then. When she crossed to our side, I picked up the pace, breaking away from my family. I almost had her – _just a few more feet_. When she jumped the creek, I followed.

"Emmett, no!" I heard as I was knocked back into the water. I wiped the water from my face as I met eyes with the angry silver wolf from Sam's pack.

I couldn't help but get angry at this. I almost had her! A hiss had just started to cross my lips when the wolf was practically tackled by an equally large white one. Alex's ears were flat on her head as she bared her teeth at him. Even I had to admit it was scary as shit! The other wolf growled back, but buckled under her gaze. The silver wolf shook his head before running off to join the others. Like a switch had been flipped, Alex's wolf-face became soft. Her eyes raked over me before meeting my own, and I could hear her unasked question…

* * *

 _Gatlinburg 1934_

* * *

 _"What on earth, Emmett McCarty!" The disapproval in Alexandria's voice made me wince. Well, that and my new split lip. "Are you okay?" She crouched at my feet, her eyes searching my face. I guess word traveled fast…_

 _"I'm fine. After all, I'm a big strong man." I smiled through the pain, hoping it would ease some of her anger._

 _"I heard from Russell that you got into a fight with Jonny Brigs. Why on earth would you do that Emmett? The man is_ known _for beating men half way to their grave!"_

 _I frowned and looked away. At the time, it was justified, but now my anger seemed childish. "Someone needed to put him in his place." I shrugged and turned back to her worried eyes. "Besides, he's worse off than me."_

 _"That's not the point, Emmett! You got hurt, and for what? To prove that you were 'a big strong man'?"_

 _Now I was angry. "No! I clocked 'em because he was talking about you!" I nearly screamed as I relived the fight. "He was talkin' about what he would do to you if he got you alone." It still made me angry._

 _Her gaze softened, but she still looked upset. "So? Men talk, Emmett. It doesn't mean anything!"_

 _"You're my girl!" I barked out before I could stop myself. "Everyone knows that! It'll be a cold day in hell before I let the likes of Jonny Brigs talk about the woman I love like she's some kind of floozy!"_

 _She froze, all the anger disappearing from her face. "What did you say?"_

 _Shit. We hadn't really said that whole love thing yet. "I said I love you, stubborn woman." I pouted. That wasn't how I wanted to tell her._

 _Despite everything, her full lips pulled back into a wide smile. I felt all my tension wash away at the sight of it. "I love you too, big strong man." She laughed and took my head in her hands, placing a gentle kiss on my split lip._

* * *

 _Present Day_

* * *

I took a slow breath as the memory hit me full force. That one was… Intense. "I'm fine. After all, I'm a big strong man." I croaked out with a half-smile. She looked stunned for a second before shaking her head. She nudged me with her nose lightly before turning to follow the others. This was getting complicated…

* * *

 **AN: Reviews are loved 3 Here is a spoiler from the next chapter:**

 _"You're gonn'a test my resolve if ya keep thinkin' about whatever you're thinkin' about." His voice was husky, and the southern drawl I had once loved was back._


	15. Chapter Fourteen - The Plan

AN: Hello beautiful readers! As you are reading this chapter, I am working on chapter 19. Let me just say, the development over the next four chapters is **mind blowing**. You guys are gonna be pretty happy (I hope!). Just so you guys know, I plan on taking this story all the way through Breaking Dawn!

* * *

 **Chapter Fourteen**

 _The Plan_

* * *

We had all weekend to catch the red-headed leech, but she managed to escape us at every turn. Things were tense, and only getting worse. The one that could see the future seemed to be on the fritz, which left us blind. We caught another foreign leech scent while patrolling, but it was stale. Whatever the red-head was planning was going to be big… and bad. I tried to push the thought out of my mind as I threw the SUV into park. I considered dropping our student façade, but we were committed now. Not to mention, it gave me a chance to spend some time with Emmett. The blonde and he seemed to have resolved whatever was wrong with them, which meant she was back to practically peeing on him to mark her territory.

"This doesn't look good." Ty mumbled, his deep sapphire gaze narrowing in on Jacob leaning against his motorcycle.

He lifted his head as we approached, his arms crossed over his chest. "Little far from the rez, aren't you?" I asked with a raised brow. "Last time I checked, you were still in school."

"You sound like Sam." His frown deepened. "I have the right to see Bells."

As if on cue, Bella practically flew out of Edward's car to him. It was strange watching them. Bella claimed to be so in love with Edward, but part of her loved Jacob too, it seemed. I was going to make sure Jacob was on his best behavior, but a chill crawled up my spine. I quietly stepped away from the pack, my eyes seeking him out. By the time I spotted him thorough the arriving cars, he was already on his way to me.

"Well, this is a surprise." I smiled as he came to a stop in front of me. "Finally decided to forsake the others?" I peered around him towards a scowling Rosalie.

"I'm here on official Cullen business." He gave me a mock salute, his dimpled smile following soon after. "Alice found something, so Carlisle wants to hold an official meeting between both packs and us after school."

"Oh?" I rose an eyebrow. "Count us in."

* * *

The air inside the Cullen house was heavy, although that might have something to do with the twenty or so supernatural creatures packed into the living room. The tension was already thick, despite the fact that no one had said anything yet. In the center of the circle of wolves and vamps stood Me, Sam, and Carlisle. Next to Carlisle, Alice's eyes darted in and out of focus as she attempted to 'see' around us.

"Jazz and I think we've found Victoria's base, and she's _not_ alone." Growls filled the room at Alice's words. To Carlisle's other side, Edward hugged Bella more to him.

"How many are there?" Sam's face was even more tense than usual.

"We're not sure. We can't get close enough. She's hiding out in the old warehouse district in Seattle. We want to do some reconnaissance, but she would probably smell us coming."

"Maybe a few of us could head down there and sniff around." Sam offered.

"Trust me, wolves walking around Seattle at any time of day wouldn't be a good idea." I shook my head. "And in human form we're too vulnerable."

"So we'll team up." Emmett offered, pushing his way past Edward. "You'll cover our scents and we'll protect you."

"That's not a good idea." Jasper sighed. "If Victoria _is_ up to something, we don't want to tip her off. We need to blend in – pretend we were never there."

Everyone grew quiet. How do you sneak up on a creature that could hear, see, and smell you coming a mile away? "I have an idea…" Bella's small voice drew the attention of everyone in the room. "I know the warehouse district – I spent some time there while the Cullen's were away." She looked away from Edward's disapproving gaze. "There's a big club down there… If we go at night – " Edward gave her a pointed look. "- fine, if _you_ go at night and pair off, you can split up and check out the area. There are so many people, she probably won't be able to smell you."

"That's not a bad idea." I nodded.

"You won't be needing both packs, so mine can stay around here and make sure she doesn't come this way. No offense, but we're not really up to working with you _that_ closely." Sam spoke for his pack.

"That's a good plan." Carlisle's voice was even. "We could cover our home base, and check out theirs. Alex, would you be willing to meet with me one on one later tonight? I think its best we determine the pairs together in order to complement each member. Worst case scenario, we might have to fight our way out."

"Agreed."

The packs left after that. Sam and his returned to La Push, while my pack and I discussed what was to come. We decided that since Nicolas and Lilly look far too young, they would stay behind and watch over Forks and Bella. They weren't exactly happy about being taken out of the action, but it was for the best. We went over several strategies and signals. Wolves or not, we were going to be separated by hundreds of people with only a member of the Cullen coven as back up. The warehouse in question was next door to a club, or so Alice had said. We would have to find a way to get close enough to scope the place out without getting too far from the crowd. It was dangerous, but it was the best shot we had.

Around seven, I headed to the Cullen's house. Alice said that tonight would be the best night to head out there, so we had to move fast. The other pack members would get ready while I met with Carlisle. Nicolas promised to have an outfit waiting for me when I got back. When I arrived at the Cullen house, Carlisle met me at the door.

"The others are getting ready, I thought it would be best to do this in the study." I nodded, but didn't say anything as he led me up the large staircase.

His study was ostentatious, much like the rest of the house. It was nearly all cherry wood and velvet. The whole north wall consisted of ceiling-high bookshelves that were practically overflowing. What really caught my eye was the whiteboard in the center of the room. On it were the pictures of my pack members and nearly all of the Cullen's.

"Alice likes graphs." Carlisle sighed. "She took these from your school photos." He pointed to the large picture of my face.

"That's not creepy at all." I mumbled as I looked over each of them. "You and your mate aren't up here."

"We thought it best to sit this one out. We wouldn't exactly blend in with young club-goers."

I hummed and took Nick and Lilly's pictures down. "They're going to stay behind and watch Bella."

"Good, then we can get down to business." He joined me at the board. "I assumed you and Emmett would be pairing up." I then noticed that our pictures were already next to each other.

"Wouldn't that cause problems? I know how much tension it is already putting on the blonde." It might have been childish, but I refused to say her name.

"Tension or not, I thought it would be best if you and Emmett were paired up. If I'm understanding this imprint thing correctly, you're going to worry about him in this kind of situation regardless."

"That's true." I nodded and moved on, trying to ignore the sense of relief that washed over me. "This one can feel emotions, right?" I tapped the picture of the blond male.

"Yes, that's Jasper. He would do well with someone that could easily control their instincts."

"That would be Matt. He tends to be the most practical." I moved the picture.

"Edward can read minds, and will be connected to each of you. It would be better to pair him with someone that won't distract him."

"Chase. No question." He would be the best at keeping his composure too. "The blonde seems like a hot head. Ty could handle that easily." I knew from experience. I moved Tyler's picture next to hers. "Which leaves the psychic and James."

"Well, that was easier than I thought it would be." He gave me a cheerful smile. "I would hurry if I were you. Alice tends to get a bit anxious when she has to wait."

"She'll live… or not."

* * *

Sadly, the only thing that Nicolas deemed 'club appropriate' was a backless black dress that barely covered my ass. I was pretty sure it actually belonged to Leah, because it sure as hell wasn't mine. Next to it was a ridiculous pair of strappy gold heels that had to be at least five inches. I would have screamed at him, but I was the only one left in the house. Carlisle thought it would be better to show up separately as well. Tossing the shoes on my bed, I went to my closet. There was no need to wear them. A growl ripped from my throat when I found my closet floor empty. _The little shit…_

I heard an engine approach followed by the sound of tires turning into the gravel driveway. Accepting my fate, I pulled the shoes on, taking a quick look in the mirror before heading to the door. Emmett knocked a moment before I pulled it open.

"Wow…" He breathed and looked me over. "You look amazing, Alex."

I couldn't really register his compliment, I was too busy taking him in. He wore a white V-neck under a leather motorcycle jacket with dark washed jeans and dress shoes. The last time I had seen Emmett dressed up was for his sister's funeral, and that was completely different. Lust hit me full force as I met his eyes, forgetting for a moment that they weren't the bright blue I had been expecting. But he was still Emmett… His jaw line, his smile… _him._

Emmett took a deep breath through his nose. Closing his eyes, he groaned so low I wouldn't have been able to hear it if I were human. When he opened his eyes again, they were darker and heavy. "You're gonn'a test my resolve if ya keep thinkin' about whatever you're thinkin' about." His voice was husky, and the southern drawl I had once loved was back. A chill ran down my spine at his words, but I tried to refocus. This wasn't what we were supposed to be doing.

"We should go." I breathed, my voice shaky. This was going to be a long night…

* * *

AN: Reviews are lovvvvved! Here's a sneak peak at the next chapter:

 _"Emmett-" I gasped his name as my hands ran through his hair on their own. "We can't… Rosalie…"_


	16. Chapter Fifteen - The Club

AN: Sorry I left you guys with a cliffhanger! Here is the next part!

* * *

 **Chapter Fifteen**

 _The Club_

* * *

 _Gatlinburg – 1933_

* * *

 _I breathed deeply as I messed with one of the curls Bridget had done for me. Once again, she had loaned me a dress. I told her it wasn't necessary, but she insisted on doing it. Work at the diner had been good for the last month, so I would have to bite the bullet and go clothes shopping soon. I was sure Bridget would be more than happy to take me. She seemed like the feminine type._

 _"Alexandria!" She scolded me as she walked back into the room with a soft looking shawl. "Stop messin' with your hair! Emmett will be here any minute!"_

 _"This is stupid, I wasn't built for fancy restaurants and high-class dates with well-bred men." I frowned into the mirror before turning to her. Her hands flew to her hips, framing her large belly._

 _"Don't you dare talk like that! Emmett is my brother, and I know 'em better than anyone. He's absolutely crazy about you!" She placed the shawl around my shoulders. "He wouldn't care if you were raised by wolves!"_

 _I bit back a laugh as a knock sounded from downstairs. "That's him…" I breathed, trying to calm down my racing heart._

 _"I'll let him in. You count to ten and come down."_

* * *

 _Present Day_

* * *

"You okay over there?" I blinked as Emmett's voice snapped me out of the memory. I looked around to find that we were already at the club. I guess I had been day dreaming longer than I thought.

"Yeah… I was just remembering our first date."

He frowned lightly. "I don't remember that one… Will you tell me about it?"

I would have loved nothing more than to spend the night talking with Emmett about the past, but we had work to do. "Maybe some other time. The others are already inside."

The second I stepped out of Emmett's Jeep, I was assaulted by the stench of leech. Oh yeah, she was close. The thumping of the club's base cut off my sense of hearing, but I was picking up at least a dozen scents. I had prepared to stand in the long line, but Emmett's large hand dropped to my waist and steered me to the front.

"Don't look so tense." He mumbled as I concentrated on nothing but the feel of his hand on me. "You're supposed to be my date, not my next victim." I laughed lightly as the bouncer took one look at us before moving the velvet rope.

Inside the club was nearly deafening. I tried to look for the others, but couldn't see past the mob of human's in front of me. I could just make out the scents under all the adrenaline and lust. Emmett's hand on my waist guided me towards the middle of the floor. I would have preferred to stay along the walls, but I supposed the point was to blend in.

"Alright, alright, that wasn't bad!" An MC called from the stage. I could just make him out over the heads of the taller club-goers. "Next, we have double trouble. A pair of twins singing 'Shut up and Dance'. You better cross your legs, ladies. These two just might make those panties drop!"

"Please tell me it's not-" Before I could finish my sentence, James and Matt took the stage with wide matching smiles. "Son of a bitch." I groaned. They were supposed to be laying low! Beside me, Emmett laughed deeply as they began to sing.

 _"Oh don't you dare look_ _back. Just keep your eyes on me."_

 _"I said, you're holding back. She said,"_

 _"Shut up and dance with me!"_

I rolled my eyes as James winked towards one of the women in the front row. Matt walked over to the far edge of the stage, seemingly staring at the wall for a moment before switching with James.

The anger left me as Emmett's large hand glided from my hip to my stomach. My breath caught as his large fingers spread out, making chills run all over my body. Pulling me back against his rock-hard chest, he dropped his lips by my ear. "You're tense… Relax." His whisper was enough to instantly charge my body with lust.

 _"This woman is my destiny"_

 _"She said, "Ooh-ooh-hoo"_

 _"Shut up and dance with me."_

Emmett began to move against me, his hand forcing my body to rock against his. I closed my eyes at the feeling of him. "Do you dance yet?" His whisper was still husky, but there was a playful edge to it now. With a smirk, I turned pressing my chest against his.

"You have no idea," I growled, my hands moving up his stomach to grasp his shoulders.

Emmett wedged a leg between mine so that I was practically grinding myself against him. His deep eyes locked on mine as the hand that wasn't around my waist moved to my thigh. His cold fingers traveled lightly over the skin, teasing the hem line of the dress. My fingers twisted to hold the collar of his jacket, pulling him so that our faces were inches apart. My breath came in gasps at the feeling of being surrounded by him. His touch, his gaze, his scent… It was all so _intense._

 _"We were victims of the night,  
The chemical, physical, kryptonite-"_

 _"Helpless to the bass and the fading light  
Oh, we were bound to get together,  
Bound to get together."_

His fingers moved, ducking under the edge of my dress to cup my ass. By now, I knew he could smell my arousal. I would have minded if I couldn't _feel_ his against my leg. His other hand pulled me more into him as his face went to my neck. I felt his lips brush the heated skin there; not quite a kiss, but far from accidental. I growled as he kneaded my backside. His icy tongue darted out to catch a bead of sweat that was heading towards my collarbone, all the time his hips moved with mine.

 _"She took my arm,  
I don't know how it happened.  
We took the floor and she said-"_

I tried to shake the feeling of him, knowing that his mate was somewhere nearby, probably watching us and plotting my death. "Emmett-" I gasped his name as my hands ran through his hair on their own. "We can't… Rosalie…"

I felt his breath fan across my neck before he pulled back with heavy eyes. He looked somewhere between crying and yelling. "I know… I just can't seem to help myself around you. I may not remember you, but my body sure as hell does." I laughed as our dancing slowed. I nearly blushed as I fixed my dress, licking my suddenly dry lips. "Let's get some air, maybe check out the surrounding buildings."

He grabbed my hand and led me out a side entrance that ended up being the way into the alley. There were a few smokers out here, but they headed inside once they saw us. With the cold air clearing my head, I had the chance to be thoroughly mortified about what I had almost done in the middle of a dance floor. Emmett seemed collected though, his eyes darting around between the adjacent buildings.

"The windows are too high." I mumbled to myself as I looked up at them. "That's what they were doing!" I smiled as I turned back to look at the club that had the windows in the exact same place. It must have been a warehouse at one point.

"Who was doing what?"

"Matt and James. They were using the stage to see out of the windows and into the other buildings. It was the only place in the club that would be tall enough." I smiled at their thinking. "It's why they took turns standing on the far edge of the stage." Clever boys.

"Smart… Now we just have to hope they saw something."

* * *

A few hours later, we all met at the Cullen house. Emmett and I were the second ones there, after Rosalie and Ty. Judging by the discussed look she gave us, I would say she saw everything. Emmett opened his mouth to speak and she took off. I could hear her door slam followed by a sigh from Emmett who gave me a sad smile before following her.

"Eventful night?" Ty asked with a smile as he bit into an apple.

"Not another word."

It turns out that I was right about James and Matt's little plan. The best part? It had worked. They caught sight of a couple of dozen vamps fighting in the warehouse next door. Jasper came to the conclusion that Victoria was building a newborn army. It was in no way good news, but at least now we knew she was coming. Jasper and Alice would spend the next few days trying to narrow down the window of attack and training us to deal with newborns. I had only come across one or two in my time, but this was unheard of.

When all was said and done, we left the Cullen house. Emmett and Rosalie had stayed upstairs, not that I could blame them. The little exchange between Emmett and myself had my wolf on edge. This imprint was taking longer than she would have liked. Forcing myself away from the house, I headed back with the others. I still had to kill Nicolas for those god damned shoes!

* * *

AN: Reviews are looooved! Next chapter sneak peak!:

 _"Funny story… I'm in jail."_


	17. Chapter Sixteen - Emmett's POV: A Choice

AN: Okay, so I wasn't planning on posting another chapter so soon, but I'm so far ahead with my writing (currently writing chapter 22), I thought Why The Hell Not! My Birthday is Monday, so I might post an extra chapter then too! My regular posting schedule is every Saturday and Wednesday.

* * *

 **Chapter Sixteen**

 _Emmett's POV – A Choice Already Made_

* * *

I was in some deep shit, not that I didn't deserve it. I think the worst part was that I couldn't even really bring myself to be sorry. Like, yeah, I was sorry that I did that to Rosalie, but touching Alex like that… It was like I could feel my heart beat again. God, I sounded like a chick. Now, I had to clean up the mess. It was sunny day, so we stayed home from school. I wanted to go out though. The imprint was pulling me towards her again. It was like the more I gave into it, the stronger it became.

"Emmett, we need to talk." Rosalie sighed and sat down on the other end of the couch. That was never good… "I think – I think it's time you made a choice."

I nodded mutely. I knew this was coming. It wasn't like I could have them both – though that would make my life a lot easier. But, who would I choose? "I have a history with Alex, albeit, one I can't really remember. I remember falling in love with _you_ , Rosalie. You're were all I knew for most of my life. I fell in love with you when I didn't even know who _I_ was."

"I know, Emmett. I'm not going to be angry, no matter what you choose." She frowned, her eyes not giving anything away.

"The imprint isn't making things easy. It's like it's pulling me towards her, not that that justifies what happened last night. That was all me. But, Rosalie, I still care about you. It's a hard decision to make."

She gave me a sad smile. "You've already made it, Em." My brows furrowed as I tried to figure out what she meant. "You've been calling me Rosalie for a week. You haven't used my full name since you first turned, at least not exclusively. Every time you talk about loving me you do it in the past tense… Emmett, your mind was made up the second you saw her again. Every time I asked you how you felt about her, you would say 'I don't even know her', but you never denied any feelings."

I was dumbfounded. I hadn't realized any of that. "Rosalie – Rose – I'm sorry for the way I treated you. You deserved better."

"No, Emmett, I really didn't. I knew about Alexandria and had an idea about the imprint. I could have told you about her a thousand times, but I allowed myself to believe that I could keep it a secret forever." She looked down ashamed. "I suppose part of me hoped she died all those years ago."

Her words struck me the wrong way, but I bit my tongue. She stood, pulling some papers out of her back pocket and handing them to me. With one last small smiled, she turned and headed back upstairs. I watched her go before turning my attention to the papers. Oh… They were divorce papers. Her signature already sat boldly at the bottom. This was it… This was the end of me and Rose.

A vibration from my pocket broke the spell the documents seemed to have on me. Shaking my head, I pulled my phone from my pocket, frowning at the unfamiliar number. "Hello?"

"Emmett?" Alex's voice was muffled, but it was definitely her.

"Alex? Are you okay? Where are you calling from?" I was on my feet before I could even think to move. The thought that she could be in trouble made the panic rise in my throat.

"Funny story… I'm in jail." I paused for a second, processing her words. Then, before I could stop it, I threw my head back and laughed. "It's not _that_ funny Emmett! I'm in here for breaking and entering and attempted robbery! They set my bail at five thousand dollars!"

That only made me laugh harder. "Exactly who were you trying to rob?"

"I wasn't trying to rob anyone! It's all a big misunderstanding, but long story short, Chief Swan thinks I tried to steal from him."

My laughter bounced off the wall now. "I'm on my way as soon as the sun goes down. Think you can make it until night fall?"

"I've been in worse conditions. Thanks, Emmett."

"No problem. Just try not to make too many friends in there!"

"Shut up!" With that, her end of the line went dead.

Pocketing my phone, I turned back to the divorce papers with a solemn expression. I might as well get this over with. Taking a pen from the coffee table, I quickly signed my name. I took a minute to stare at the signatures before refolding the paper. I knew it had to be done, but it was still sad to see that chapter of my life end. At least now I could figure out what the hell was between me and Alex without feeling guilty.

As soon as the sun set, I was out the door. I sped to the jail, hoping that I wouldn't get pulled over on the way. That wouldn't help things. When I got there, I was surprised to see Bella storming out of her father's office. He rubbed his temples as Bella turned on him.

"I _told_ you, Alex wasn't stealing from us! Let her go!"

"Sorry, Bells. I can drop the charges, but it'll take at least another day for the paperwork to go through."

"I can help." I waved a checkbook, getting their attention. Bella immediately relaxed. "So, where's our little jailbird?"

* * *

"Will you please stop laughing!?" Alex groaned as we drove away from the jail. I couldn't help but notice that she fought the smile pulling at her lips.

"I will if you tell me what happened." I offered as I turned onto the main road towards the town. I was sure her werewolf appetite wasn't satisfied in there, so it was the least I could do to get her a decent meal.

"I sniffed out a few of Victoria's guys and followed the trail back to Bella's house. When I got there, I could hear them inside. So, I shifted and jumped through Bella's widow. They obviously had no idea what I was, because they freaked out. One of them threw himself out the window and the other charged me. I managed to fight him off and rip Bella's necklace out of his hand. I'm guessing they were using it for her scent. He joined his friend and nosedived off the second floor."

I nodded, unable to stop my smile. "Get to the part where you're getting arrested."

She sighed and crossed her arms. "So, I manage to peel myself off the floor long enough to see what the damage was. A broken mirror, some lamps, and the chain of the necklace – which I was still holding by the way, that's important – but, other than that nothing too bad. I decided to head to La Push to warn Sam's pack. I figured I would call you on the way. Well, I have one foot out the window when Chief Swan bursts in, guns blazing."

I barked out a laugh. She scowled, her bottom lip poking out. "Sorry, sorry, keep going."

"There I am, naked as a jay bird, seemingly trying to escape his daughters ransacked room with Bella's necklace in my hand. Next thing I know, I'm cuffed and thrown into a cell. Luckily, Bella brought me some clothes so I didn't have to wear the spares they keep around the jail."

"That's great." I wiped an imaginary tear from the corner of my eye. "Do you have your mug-shot? We'll scrapbook it next to mine and Jasper's." She shook her head but lost her composure as a laugh bubbled up in her throat. I pulled into the drive-thru, looking to her expectantly. "Well, what'll it be?"

She ate more food than I would think possible, even for a werewolf, but it was entertaining. We just sat in the jeep and talked… It was nice. "So, is the blonde pissed?" She smirked, but I could see the pain in her eyes.

"Actually, Rosalie and I decided it would be best to get a divorce." I shrugged, the words still sounding odd on my lips.

She froze, her eyes wide. "Oh? Is it because of last night? I could talk to her if you want."

I rose an eyebrow at this. "You want to help me reconcile with Rosalie?" There wasn't a chance in hell of that happening, but I was curious as to why.

"I want you to be happy, Emmett." She frowned, looking away from me for only a moment. "Even if that means you'll be with her. I know you don't remember me Emmett… It's not your fault. I just never want to be the reason for your pain."

Instinctively, I placed a hand over hers. "I might not remember our whole past, Alex, but I'm willing to get to know you now."

* * *

The next time I saw Alex was at our little training session. It was more Jasper lecturing and the wolves watched on. In their own wolfish way, they laughed every time one of us fell on our ass. Bella watched on too, but I didn't know what she was even doing here. It's not like she was going to be fighting alongside us, and she was too busy cooing over Jacob to really pay attention anyway.

"Alice?" Jasper's voice pulled everyone's attention.

The little pixie had the familiar look of a vision on her face. She usually snapped right out of it, but this one was taking a while. Warmth flooded my side as Alex walked up next to me in wolf form. It was odd to look _up_ at her. I couldn't stop myself from reaching up and running a hand through the white fur. She closed her eyes, nearly purring at the contact.

"They're coming." Alice gasped, grabbing Jasper's arm to stable herself. "They'll be here in three days…"

* * *

AN: Reviews are loved! Next chapter sneak peak:

 _I remembered her._

 _I remembered… everything._


	18. Chapter Seventeen - The Battle

AN: I know Rosalie seemed to have a change of heart suddenly, but the girls will have a chat later ;D

* * *

 **Chapter Seventeen**

 _The Battle_

* * *

I was working my pack hard. I knew it wasn't fair, but we had never been up against this kind of threat before. I had met with both Carlisle and Sam on several occasions as we planned out the positions each person would take. Seth and Lilly would protect Bella, along with Edward and possibly Jacob. Brady and Collin would watch over the imprints at Sam's house. That left the entire Cullen clan and the rest of the wolves to fight in the field. We had the element of surprise on our side, but Victoria was still unseen to Alice.

"That's it for today." I clapped, forcing the giant wolves apart. "We have twenty four hours before game time… Rest up." I was met with several yips before they turned tail and headed back to the rental house. I didn't want them to see it, but I was worried too.

"You're good with them." Emmett's voice washed over me.

The Cullen's had been staking out the field we would fight in. I could smell Bella's blood in the air even though I was a few miles away. I turned to give Emmett a small smile as he approached. "Thanks. They make it easy. I've been lucky in the pack member department."

"It's not luck." He shoved his hands into his pockets as he came to a stop in front of me. "You're a good leader, and they respect that."

"Stop, you're making me blush." I joked, pushing against his chest lightly. He used his vampire speed to catch my hand before I could pull it back. Now I was really starting to blush.

"Just… Be careful tomorrow, okay?" He raised an eyebrow, placing the palm of my hand over where his heart should have been beating. He covered it with his own, pulling me more into him. I licked my lips as I willed my own heart to slow down. Did he have any idea what he was doing to me?

"Funny, I was going to ask the same of you." I gave him a small smile as his arms wrapped around my waist. Now I _knew_ he was doing this on purpose. "Emmett?"

"I just – I want to try something… God, I sound like Edward…" He breathed a laugh, moving one hand to cup my chin. I nodded mutely his eyes holding me captive.

Emmett's thumb glided over my bottom lip as his face drew closer. His eyes held mine for a moment longer before darting down to my mouth. When Emmett's lips met mine, I could have sworn I felt the world shifting under my feet. My hands grasped at his biceps, my breath coming in gasps. His tongue was like ice against my lips, but it was the best feeling I had ever experienced. Parting my lips, I let it in, my stomach dropping in the process. My head spun and my wolf howled at the contact.

"Emmett. Air." I laughed against his lips. He joined me, resting his forehead against my own.

"I just wanted to do that – for luck." He winked, his dimpled smile wide.

"I might need a little more." I smiled, pulling him by the collar back to me.

* * *

I licked my lips, looking each pack member in the eye. Frowning, it hit me that there were two missing. "Where are Chase and Nick?"

"Still inside." Matt offered as he played with a blade of grass he had plucked out.

"Probably having some pre-fight sex." James wiggled his eyebrows up and down.

Ty scoffed. "Yeah right, and I owe you a hundred bucks."

"The fight starts in twenty minutes. We don't have time for this!" I growled and resisted the urge to pace. Chase was my beta, he should have been by my side before the others. "Ty, go get them." He nodded and jogged towards the front of the rental house.

"I should go now." Lilly spoke quietly, her nerves obvious. "Bella should be there already." I took her face between my hands, kissing her forehead lovingly. In a way, she was more like a daughter than a sister to me.

"Be safe." She nodded, hugging each pack member before bursting into a large golden wolf. With one more glance back at us, she took off into the woods.

Ty returned a few seconds later, his eyes pinned to the ground. Before I could ask what was wrong, he wordlessly handed a folded bill to James. Under any other circumstance, I would have laughed. Chase and Nick followed soon after looking a bit disheveled. I must have had a million questions for Chase, but they could wait. Shaking my head, I turned my focus to the fight.

"We've never been up against something like this…" I began, refocusing the attention to me. "But we're not in it alone. Make sure when you're out there, you're paying attention… Protect your brother and sister next to you. Let's make this clean and quick."

I got a few grunts and responses, their faces like stone. Stripping quickly, we phased and joined Sam's pack on the outside of the field. Through the thinning trees of fall I could make out the Cullen's entering their positions. The little one – Alice – declared that it was time.

 _'Hold!'_ Sam commanded as the newborns broke the tree line.

 _'Wait for our cue…'_ I added, my eyes following their movements.

The sound of the vampires smacking into each other was so loud, I was sure they would hear it in town. There were more than we thought there were going to be, but no sign of red hair. Simultaneously, Sam and I moved, our packs right behind us. As we jumped over the rocks that helped conceal us, I made a beeline for Emmett. With a deep growl, I locked my jaws around a newborn's neck and pulled, satisfied when it fell to the ground with a loud _thud_.

"Nice." Emmett winked at me before turning to fight off the next one.

Before I could focus on him too long, I felt one grab my back leg. Luckily, I managed to fight him off before he could do any damage. Inside my head was pure chaos. Sam's pack barked locations and incomings while my pack fought to stay focused on each other. James and Matt moved effortlessly together, taking out leeches like they were flies. At one point, I lost track of Chase, but he reappeared, his eyes wild as he sought out Nicolas.

I kept one eye on Emmett while my mind connected with Lilly. When I saw Victoria through her eyes, I nearly ran to her. _No_. I had to stay. Sam's pack only grew stronger with Jacob's return. We were putting a serious dent in their numbers now, but the ones left were stronger. A loud whimper immediately sent chills down my spine.

 _'Nick!'_ I ran in his direction, trying not to panic over the large pile of brown fur that he had become.

I jumped over several piles of dead leech, my paws kicking up dirt as I ran. I could hear Emmett's voice, but all I could focus on was my pack mate. If something happened to Nicolas, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. The last thing I heard was Ty's warning to 'watch out' before I was hit and my world went black.

* * *

 _Emmett's POV_

* * *

It was like my feet were frozen to the ground. My stomach lurched as I watched the newborn tackle Alex, sending her head first into a nearby tree. The large oak groaned before falling backwards. I was moving before I could even make the decision to. Tyler intervened before I could reach her, killing the leech instantly before standing to defend her still body.

Sliding to a stop, I dropped to my knees near Alexandria's limp, nude body. Her head was sporting a big gash and even I could tell her collarbone was broken. "Carlisle!" I called for the head of my coven. His golden eyes sought me out immediately, his face tense. I knew some first aid, but I didn't trust myself to work on her. I was just happy that her wolf-blood was completely unappetizing.

"I'm on my way, Emmett!" He called, turning to help Esme with another newborn first.

I was happy I couldn't cry, because I probably would be bawling like a baby. Carefully cradling her head, I looked down at her.

 _"Am I in heaven?"_

My own words echoed through my mind… We had been like this, only I was the one laying on the ground. I groaned as Carlisle carefully took Alex from me. My hands flew to my temples as memories flooded me.

 _"Hello, Alexandria..."_

 _"Miss Sterling, would you do me the _honor_ of being my date tonight?"_

 _"-I've never done this so soon…"_

 _"Bridget, I'm gonna marry that woman…"_

 _"I love you, Alexandria."_

 _"Momma? I wanted you to be the first to know… I'm gonna ask Alexandria to marry me… I just can't picture my life without her…"_

 _"Alex…"_

My head felt like it was going to explode. I sank to all fours, my fingers digging up dirt. I remembered her.

I remembered… _everything_.

* * *

AN: Reviews are loooooved! Sneak Peak for the next chapter:

 _"It's not fair to drag you guys along with me… Which is why I'm handing the alpha position over to Chase."_


	19. Chapter Eighteen - The Aftermath

AN: Yay birthday update! Thank you for the reviews/happy birthday's. I've been a little sick, so the updates might be a bit slow for the next week.

Since someone asked: Emmett's repressed/human memories were triggered by the traumatic event of seeing Alex like that. It paralleled his own accident and jogged his memories of his human life... At least, that was my premise lol.

* * *

 **Chapter Eighteen**

 _The Aftermath_

* * *

I groaned through the fogginess of my mind. I couldn't tell if I was flying or sinking. Everything hurt, and my body was heavier than I remember. For the first time in almost a century, I was cold. As if I had spoken it, I felt someone cover me with another blanked. It didn't seem to help the chills that I was trying to keep at bay. What had happened? I remembered Nicolas laying on the ground… then, nothing.

"I think she's waking up." That was Emmett's voice, and he was close. I could smell him around me, but just barely. There was a heavy stench of leech in the air too… Was I with the Cullens?

After what seemed like years, I managed to peel my eyes open, wincing at the way the light made my head ache even more. I was surprised to find not only Emmett peering down at me, but Carlisle Cullen as well. I meant to blink, but ended up keeping my eyes closed for several seconds before opening them again.

"Alexandria?" Carlisle looked down at me, placing his cold hands on either side of my head. "Perhaps giving her seven doses of morphine was a bad idea." He mumbled to himself as he checked my vitals. "Alexandria, you're going to be a little sluggish for a while…"

"I feel like I got hit by a truck." I managed to slur out as he finally took his freezing hand off of me. "Strike that, I got hit by a truck once and it wasn't this bad."

I winced as Emmett's booming laugh echoed inside my skull. "Sorry, sorry." He calmed down a bit. With a few parting words to Carlisle, we were left alone. "How are you feeling, Doll?"

The nickname rang odd to me, but in my fog-heavy mind I couldn't figure out why. "How's Nicolas?"

Again, he chuckled. "He's doing just fine – better than you. He had two broken legs and a rib. He'll be healed by nightfall. You on the other hand have a fractured skull, broken collar bone, three broken fingers – though I think those have healed already." He ran his fingers over my hand. It was odd, but for a second, he felt warm. "You're cold." He frowned. "Almost a human temperature." I was trying to understand what he was saying, but I was already drifting off to sleep again. "You rest, Doll. I'll be here when you wake up."

It was on the brink of sleep I remembered why that nickname was so odd. He hadn't called me 'Doll' since the 1930's.

* * *

 _New Year's Eve_

 _1933 – Gatlinburg_

* * *

 _"Emmett, are you sure you don't want to go see your parents?" I asked with a frown as I slowly lowered myself onto the couch next to him. His sad blue eyes moved from the fire just long enough to meet mine._

 _"I don't think I'm really up for it."_

 _It had been almost four months since Bridget's passing. Most of the town still mourned her in their own way, but the McCarty's hadn't even seemed to process it yet. Over the last month, I moved in with Emmett, especially when I noticed he wasn't eating. Most of my shifts at the diner were covered these days so I could stay home and keep an eye on him. Emmett spent a lot of his time out hunting or locked away in his study. I think he liked getting lost in another world. I would have done anything to take his pain away. Although to the rest of the town he was stone-faced and shut off, I constantly felt his sadness. Most nights I would just cradle him the best I could while he sobbed about the unfairness of it all. It broke my heart every time._

 _"Well then, I guess we're staying in." I gave him the best smile I could. Pulling the throw from the back of the couch, I wrapped it around his broad shoulders and crawled onto his lap. Immediately, his hands wove around me and his face buried in my hair._

 _He hummed in content. "You're always so warm… It's weird but it keeps me grounded." I knew it was partially due to the imprint, but that was a story for another time. After all, we had all the time in the world. "Have I told you today that I love you?"_

 _I could feel his smile against the skin of my neck. Pulling back far enough to place a soft kiss on his lips, I smiled. "I don't believe you have." I hummed as I laced my hands around his neck._

 _"Well I do, Doll."_

 _I nearly winced at the nickname. "I thought we agreed on no pet names?"_

 _He chuckled lightly. "It's not a pet name, you_ are _a doll, Doll."_

 _I laughed and rolled my eyes, just happy to have this light moment with him. "Anything you say, my big strong man."_

* * *

 _Present Day_

* * *

When I woke up the second time, I was _much_ more coherent. My head still throbbed a little, but other than that, I felt fine. I stretched lazily, a loud yawn making its way out of my throat. A deep chuckle from my right reminded me that I wasn't alone. When I opened my eyes, I was surprised to find the room dark. I must have slept all day. I sought Emmett out almost immediately, his eyes already on me. In his hands, he held a thick book with something about physics written on the front. I made a mental note to ask him about it later, but I had more pressing matters.

Pulling myself up into a sitting position, I groaned. Okay, so maybe I wasn't completely better. Emmett was immediately at my side, carefully helping prop me up. He froze only when he noticed how close our faces were. "Hey, Doll." He breathed, his hand reaching up to cup my cheek.

"Doll…" I mumbled, trying to distract myself from how inviting his lips looked. "You keep calling me that… Did you remember something?"

He slowly sat on the edge of the bed, taking my hand in his. "Alexandria … I remember… _everything_." He looked so torn. "I don't know how I forgot – how could I _ever_ forget you?" It felt like someone splashed me with ice water. It must have showed on my face, because he quickly continued. "But I meant what I said before! I _do_ want to get to know you again. We're both different now."

Giving him a light smile, I leaned in and placed my lips against his. He remembered. The thought didn't seem to register correctly in my mind. "Where am I?" I asked looking around the plain room.

"You're at our house." He took my hands in his, absentmindedly running his thumb in circles on my palm. "We were going to put you in mine and Rose's old room, but Alice pointed out that you probably wouldn't like that." He gave me a sheepish grin. I guess I owed the tiny leech a thanks.

"Your eyes are dark." I frowned and ran my fingers across the shadows underneath. "They were gold when I fell asleep."

He chuckled lightly. "Yeah, Alex, that was like two days ago."

I was shocked. I had been knocked out for two days? And he had stayed the whole time? I kissed him lightly again, not sure how else to convey my gratitude. "I'm sure the pack wants to talk to me. Why don't you send them in and go hunt?"

"Are you sure?" He looked nervous, like he didn't want to leave me.

"Of course, my big strong man." I winked. We shared several small kisses before he did as I asked.

When the pack filed in, I answered their questions about my health – assuring them that yes, I was fine. Apparently, the Cullen's had been very hospitable in my absence. They fed the pack and gave up their spare rooms. I think we moved in without my knowing. Nicolas said that Esme all but insisted that we do. She got a look at our rental house while picking up some spare clothes for me, and decided to move the rest of my stuff while she was at it. I had mixed feelings about that. I wasn't crazy about living with vamps, but it meant that I could be closer to Emmett, and the pack seemed to like it.

"So, I wanted to talk to you guys." I breathed when all the initial questions were out of the way. "Emmett told me today that he remembers everything."

"Wow, that's so great!" Lilly smiled widely from her cross-legged position at my feet.

"Seriously, now we won't have to kick his ass for not remembering you." James and Matt gave me matching smiles.

"Why are you upset?" Chase's question caused everyone to sober.

Sighing, I readjusted myself. "I'm going to be with Emmett, and in turn, the Cullen's for a while. That means where they go, I'll go." I licked my lips. It felt like I was breaking up with them. "It's not fair to drag you guys along with me… Which is why I'm handing the alpha position over to Chase."

I was met with stunned silence and looks. "No." Chase was the first to speak. "I refuse it." _What?_

"Yeah, no offense to Sasquatch, but I didn't sign up to be a part of _his_ pack." Ty crossed his arms, his look final.

"There's no way we're leaving you." Nicolas frowned and sat on the edge of my bed next to Lilly. "You're our alpha."

"You're not getting rid of us that easily." Matt smiled now.

I fought back the sappy tears that pushed at my eyes. "So, you're okay with following me wherever I go? What about if you imprint? Lilly, you already have."

"I'll stay with you as long as possible." She nodded her head, agreeing with her own statement. "When the time comes, I'll figure something out."

"So it's settled! No one wants to follow Chase." James clapped, sending a smirk towards the taller wolf. "Now, who's hungry?"

With kisses and hugs, they all left one by one until it was just Chase and I. "So… Nicolas."

He nearly groaned, like a teenager whose mother just asked if he had a crush. "Yeah."

When he didn't continue, I rose a brow. "That's dangerous territory, isn't it? What if he imprints?"

Sighing, Chase threw himself unceremoniously into the chair Emmett had been using. "I don't know what I'll do… I love him."

I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Then I hope you two are together forever."

* * *

AN: Reviews are loved! (For my birthday and all ;D) Sneak Peak for the next chapter:

 _"It's me…" Rosalie's voice called as she carefully opened the door. "Do you mind if I come in? I think we should talk."_

 _"Now?" I gaped as I peaked around the shower curtain in time to see her close the door behind her. Okay, I guess we're doing this now._


	20. Chapter Nineteen - Girl Talk

AN: Thanks to everyone that reviewed! You guys rock! As for why Alex/Emmett will stay with the Cullen's, it's because they're still his family, and the pack are pretty much nomads. Also, for plot lol.

Updates will now be coming out once a week, due to an overwhelming amount of support for my Supernatural one-shots on Tumblr. You can find my Tumblr URL in a few of the previous AN if you're interested!

* * *

 **Chapter Nineteen**

 _Girl Talk_

* * *

"You're doing well." Carlisle complimented as I caught my breath.

"I'm still too weak!" I couldn't help but growl.

It had been weeks since I awoke in the Cullen house, but I still wasn't at full strength. Carlisle seemed to think it was the vampire venom still in my system. As it turned out, the leech had gotten a good bite in on me before he was killed. The venom wouldn't kill me, but it would take a long time to leave my system. For the first few days, it hurt like hell to shift. It seems the venom works to make me weaker – almost like a human.

"Relax, Alex. You're gonna be back to kicking ass in no time." Emmett smiled from his spot on the Cullen's porch. He pushed off the rail and bounded down the stairs.

"If another vampire shows up, I'd be dead in a heartbeat." That seemed to sober him.

"No fuckin' way, Doll." His usually playful face contorted in anger over the hypothetical vampire.

"You'll be back to full strength by next week." Carlisle gave me a gentle smile before heading inside, patting Emmett's shoulder along the way.

"See, Carlisle is never wrong." Emmett tilted my head with a finger under my chin. Slowly, he brushed my lips with his.

"I guess." I huffed, resisting the urge to pout.

I was just glad my pack was helping out in La Push and wasn't around to see me so weak. A few days ago, Bella and Edward's wedding invitations went out. Apparently, Jacob didn't take it too well. Last I heard, he was running up to Canada. I sent my pack to help bring him back, but I was still far too weak to risk that. Bella took Jacob's reaction hard. She even considered calling off the wedding. That nearly crushed Edward.

"We're going to go hunting in preparation for Alice's wedding boot camp tomorrow." He rolled his eyes. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just a little sore." I smiled as I stretched my arm across my body, sighing as my shoulder popped. "I could use a hot shower." I stood on my toes to place a light kiss to his cheek.

"Think of me." He winked, slapping my behind as I passed him. With a laugh, I made my way into the Cullen house.

Although the Cullen house didn't smell the best, it was lavish. The main bathroom had a waterfall shower head. I wasn't even sure what that was until I moved in! Sighing, I turned on the hot water, quickly shedding my clothes. I hoped Carlisle was right, because being weak did not suit me. The hot water was amazing on my skin. Before the venom, I couldn't get water hot enough to feel even remotely warm. A knock at the bathroom door nearly made me jump. Damn my dulled senses!

"Yeah?" I called cautiously. As far as I knew, Bella and I were the only ones left in the house, and I could still hear her snoring lightly in the room next door.

"It's me…" Rosalie's voice called as she carefully opened the door. "Do you mind if I come in? I think we should talk."

"Now?" I gaped as I peaked around the shower curtain in time to see her close the door behind her _. Okay, I guess we're doing this now._ Shutting off the water, I grabbed for the towel, wrapping it around me.

"I know it's not the best time, but I thought it might be the only chance we'd get to talk alone without being overheard." She leaned against the counter, more out of habit than anything. Pulling the curtain back fully, I eyed her.

I didn't even know that she _wanted_ to talk alone. Was she going to kill me? God, that was it, wasn't it?! I was weak and alone, and she was going to kill me! "You can relax, I just want to talk." She smirked as my heart rate picked up.

Licking my lips, I stepped out of the shower, not really calmed by her words. "What did you want to talk about?"

"About a hundred things." She laughed quickly. "I just don't want there to be any tension between us. I know we got off to a rocky start… both times. I just wanted you to know that I loved Emmett… But not the way you did." She finally tore her gaze from the floor to me. "Even when Emmett and I were together… It was like something was missing. I think – I think a part of him was waiting for you. I don't know if it was your imprint or what, but… I've felt disconnected from him ever since you came. Like, he didn't belong to me."

Wow… That was a lot to take in. "I have to say, I didn't expect you to be so… civil. I mean, I'm practically the other woman…"

"No, I was." She nervously played with the ends of her pretty blonde hair. "I knew that you and Emmett had something special, but I didn't care… that was selfish. Either way, it looks like we're going to be spending a long time together. I want Emmett to be happy, and I don't want to have to deal with tension for the rest of eternity. Like I said, it hasn't felt the same between him and I for a while. I guess I was just too stubborn to let go."

A wave of relief washed over me. I was glad that she felt the same. "I agree. And for the record, I don't blame you for falling in love with Emmett. It's surprisingly easy to do…Truce?" I stuck out my hand.

After eyeing it, she grasped it with her own. "Truce. I would really like us to eventually be friends, Alexandria. Even if you are a wolf."

I couldn't help but smirk. "I feel the same way... Even if you are a blood sucker."

I thought that after the bathroom incident with Rosalie, my dose of weirdness for the day was done… I was wrong. I had just finished getting dressed in the room that had unofficially became mine and Emmett's when I heard a knock at the door. I could tell by the nervous fidgeting and heartbeat that it was Bella. Yanking the door open, I smiled down at my favorite human. We hadn't really had a chance to talk one on one since before the whole newborn army thing. She had been spending a lot of time with Ty ever since she found out he was actually her cousin, but other than that she seemed to stay away from the wolves.

"Hey, Bella. Come in." I stepped aside, holding the door open for her. I shut it knowing that it would do no good. If I could hear Rosalie watching TV downstairs, she would be able to hear every word we said. Still, it would give Bella the sense of privacy.

"How are you feeling?" She sat nervously on the end of the bed, her hands seemingly the most interesting thing in the room.

"I'm okay, getting stronger each day… Is everything okay with _you_ , Bella?"

She bit her lip as I sat in the armchair, giving her space. "Edward and I are going to have sex on our honeymoon." She managed to breathe out, her face redder than I had ever seen it.

I was amused, if not a bit confused as to why she was sharing this with me. "That's a good thing… right? I know you've wanted him to take that step for a while…" If possible, her face grew redder. Oh right, I wasn't supposed to know that. "Sorry, wolf hearing."

"I'm nervous." She finally looked up at me. "I've never – I mean I'm… I thought maybe you could help me. I know you have a lot of experience in that department…"

"Whoa!" I gave her a mock-offended look.

"No! No! Not like that!" She waved her hand frantically, only slowing when I chuckled. "I mean, you're older… _way older,_ You've had _partners_. I mean, now you have Emmett."

"Emmett and I… are taking things slow." I smiled lightly, glad that we were moving at all. Despite the modern times, he was old fashion in some sense. If I didn't know any better I would think he was trying to woo me.

"Oh! That's good!" She smiled, running her hands over the legs of her pants. "I was just hoping that you could give me a few pointers… You know… On how?"

I resisted the urge to laugh at her nervousness, knowing it took a lot for her to even ask. "Honestly, Bella, the best advice I can give you is to just enjoy yourself. Don't get too wrapped up in everything… Remember, sex is just sex, but with the right person it can be so much more."

She nodded, taking a deep breath. "So like… no lingerie or anything?" Her blush returned.

This time, I did laugh. "Why spend so much money on something that's probably going to be ripped off of you anyway?"

* * *

"Alex, will you please move that rock?" Alice asked as she took in the whole back yard. The rock in question was a bolder about the size of a small couch. Luckily, my strength had returned, so I was more than happy to use it. Lifting the rock with ease, I walked it over to the designated spot.

I had to give it to Alice. It might have been over the top, but she did amazing work. The backyard was starting to look like a real venue. I couldn't imagine how much the Cullen's had spent on something like this. Probably more than most people spent on a house… I was pulled out of my thoughts by Alice yelling at Matt and James for 'horsing around'. I turned to find them tossing a stump back and forth, making the tiny vampire very angry.

"Knock it off." I growled, hitting James over the back of his head since he was closer.

"Ouch!" He frowned and rubbed the back of his head. "That was uncalled for." He pouted before moving the stump.

"Thank you, Alex." Alice smiled at me and wrote something down on the clipboard that she held. "I have your dress upstairs in your room. I hope you like gold, it's going to look great with your complexion!" She smiled widely.

I blinked at the information. How had she even gotten my measurements? "Isn't gold a bit much for someone else's wedding?" I tried to picture what Alice could have possibly picked out.

"No! It's more of a champagne! Trust me, you'll look _amazing!_ " She nearly danced off, leaving me to stare at the empty spot with confusion. Had I just lost?

Emmett chuckles as he walked up next to me, throwing a large arm over my shoulder. "There's no use arguing with the pixie." He shrugged.

"You know, she reminds me of Bridget…" I mumbled more to myself than to him.

"Yeah… I guess she does." Emmett smiled over at his 'sister' before turning his gaze back to me, placing a kiss on my forehead. "So, what do you say we ditch the clean up and go for a run?"

* * *

AN: I know you guys were probably expecting a big show down between Alex and Rose, but with the imprint forcing Rosalie and Emmett apart, and the fact that they're both over a hundred years old, I felt it would fit them more to go the mature route. That being said, there will still be tension with the pack and Cullen's living together.

Next chapter Sneak Peak:

 _We hadn't talked about sex, but we both felt the tension building. Dropping my dress, I let it pool around my feet as I turned towards him. "Depends on how kinky you are."_

 _"Very." He growled, grabbing my chin between his fingers. This kiss was not sweet or light, it was forceful and full of lust._

That's right! Next chapter is rated M!


	21. Chapter Twenty - The Wedding

AN: Okay, so I've fallen a bit behind on this story, but I'll hopefully fix that soon!

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty**

 _The Wedding_

* * *

"I can't believe the wedding is tomorrow." Alice sighed in a dreamy way. I was beginning to think this wedding was half for them and half for Alice.

"It's a little weird having the wedding so close to Thanksgiving." I thought out loud. "Although, I guess you guys don't really celebrate it."

"We were thinking about celebrating this year!" Alice jumped up to sit on her knees. "With your pack and all, it would give Esme a reason to cook."

"Hmmm, it might be nice. Although, I don't think Chase would be on board." I laughed shortly at the thought of his reaction.

The guys had gone hunting, and even invited the male members of the pack to their impromptu bachelor party. Alice had wanted to do a girl's night, even if Bella wouldn't be joining us. Edward thought it would be good for her to spend this last night with her father, given the circumstances. Sam was okay with Bella being changed, but Jacob was practically ready to rip Edward's throat out – well, at least that's what I heard. He was still running, learning to hide his thoughts. Personally, I think the choice is Bella's. Promise to Samson or not, I had no right to tell Bella not to become one of them. I might have been bias though… Emmett and the other Cullen's were slowly changing my views on vamps.

"So when are you and Emmett getting married?" I nearly choked on air at Alice's question. Rosalie chuckled beside her, not tearing her eyes away from her nails.

"I don't think we're near that point yet… Besides, shouldn't you be able to tell me?" I answered once I gained my composure.

"I wish." She pouted. "I can't see around the wolves… It's making things very frustrating."

"Not that we don't love having you here, Dear." Esme smiled and tried to smooth over Alice's words. In a lot of ways, she reminded me of my mother.

"I think I'm going to head to bed." Lilly smiled gently as she stood. "Some of us need our beauty rest."

* * *

Emmett returned in the middle of the night, but tried not to wake me up. I felt his cold lips press against my forehead followed by his receding footsteps. I listened to him talk to Carlisle for a while before drifting back into a dreamless sleep. When I awoke the next morning, it was to a _very_ loud Alice barking commands. Luckily, I managed to get myself up and showered before her wrath could be turned on me. As I slipped on my dress, I heard Bella arrive. I was happy that she was finally here – it meant the focus would be completely on her. I had be forced to sit through an hour of makeup and hair. I felt like a clown.

Smoothing my hands down the front of the dress, I paused. The reflection staring back at me was _not_ me. But… It was. I had to hand it to Alice and Rosalie, they did a great job. The dress was a sparkling champagne and my hair was delicately curled, just brushing my shoulders. My makeup was lighter than it felt, which I was happy to see.

"Hey, Doll, Alice wanted me to come get you to –" He paused his eyes raking over me, an unreadable emotion in his golden eyes. "Wow." He breathed, finally blinking as he closed the distance between us.

"You like it?" I gave him a coy smile as his hands landed on my hips.

"You bet your sexy ass." He growled, leaning in to catch my mouth.

"Emmett McCarty Cullen, don't you dare mess up my work!" Alice called angrily from upstairs.

With a laugh, I gave him several small kisses before pulling myself away. I could feel both my lust and his rolling through me. "We'll pick this up later." I replied with a wink as I slipped out of the door.

Helping get Bella ready was oddly satisfying. It was something girly and not at all like me, but if felt like a bonding moment between us girls. When the time came, I left Bella with her father and found my seat next to Emmett. He wordlessly laced his fingers through mine, bringing my hand up to his lips. As the music started playing, we stood, turning towards Bella. I couldn't help but catch the eye of one of the Denali's. I didn't know her, but there was an obvious look of disdain on her face.

The ceremony itself was beautiful. I caught a couple of sniffles from my pack, and knew it was from Lilly and Nicolas. I head Seth comfort Lilly, but other than that they remained quiet – quite the task for my pack. When we switched into reception mode, I approached Bella, kissing her on the cheek and congratulated her. Caught up in the happiness of the day, I did the same to Edward. The look of shock on his face was priceless.

"Is this thing on?" I heard Emmett's voice mutter into the microphone. _Oh God…_ "I'd like to propose a toast, to my new sister. Bella I hope you've got enough sleep these last eighteen years, cause you won't be getting anymore for a while."

I couldn't help but laugh along with everyone else. "Very elegant." I complimented as he returned to the table, throwing an arm over my shoulder and placing a quick kiss on my lips.

"What can I say, Alex? I'm a poet!"

As the guests waved off Edward and Bella, I decided to avoid any further interactions with the Denali's and headed upstairs. I would have helped clean up, but it turned out Alice hired a cleaning crew… I should have known. I didn't bother turning on the light as I stepped into the room, unzipping my dress in the process. Beautiful or not, I was a creature of comfort. With the zipper at the base of my spine, I paused.

"You know, it's creepy to watch a woman undress from the shadows." I spoke over my shoulder, eyeing the silhouette in the corner.

"Creepy or erotic?" Emmett asked, his voice husky as he stalked towards me. He took his time placing one foot in front of the other, his large fingers pulling on the knot of his tie.

We hadn't talked about sex, but we both felt the tension building. Dropping my dress, I let it pool around my feet as I turned towards him. "Depends on how kinky you are."

"Very." He growled, grabbing my chin between his fingers. This kiss was not sweet or light, it was forceful and full of lust.

Moaning into his mouth, my hands flew to the buttons of his shirt. I couldn't help but think of the first time we did this in the field by his family's cabin. After two buttons, I decided it wasn't worth it, and tore the rest off. He grunted deep in his throat as his hands moved to my backside. He kneaded the flesh there as I made quick work of his belt and pants. Gripping my bottom firmly, he lifted me. I wrapped my legs around him, sliding down his toned chest before settling over his strong erection. My fingers dug into his shoulders as he stepped out of his pants, walking us over to the bed.

Even though his lips and hands were rough, he was gentle as could be as he laid me on the bed. I moaned once again as he started to feel me. Icy hands that should have cooled the fire they started only seemed to feed it. Arching into him, I gasped as his mouth began to move further south. With razor sharp teeth, he tore my bra from my body. Before I could be angry at him for it, he clamped his lips around one of my nipples. I was sure even the human guests heard me scream out.

Every touch was amplified by the imprint. Gentle caresses sent unbearable shivers up my spine. The wolf pushed at the sides of my mind, howling and squirming in the ecstasy of her mate. Emmett shuttered under my touch as I reached for every part of him. My fingers grasped at his muscled back and hair, desperate for more. Obeying the unspoken plea of my body, he moved further south still. My underwear joined my torn bra somewhere on the floor – I really couldn't bring myself to care. The moment his icy tongue met my heated core, I was coming undone. I grasped at the oak headboard behind me, not trusting myself to touch anything else. The wood groaned under my fingers, holding out only a moment before splintering and falling around us.

It seemed like my cries wore down the last of Emmett's resolve, because the next thing I knew, he was inside of me. I gasped at the sensation, so very hot and cold at once. I felt… Complete. Tears prickled my eyes as he moved, wrapping one strong arm around me.

"God, Alexandria…" He breathed as he rested his forehead against mine. His hips picked up their pace, causing the bed frame to groan under us. "So fucking hot." His eyes drifted closed as he held me tighter. "-never let you leave again." He mumbled, his lips meeting mine.

I closed my eyes about the time the back legs of the bed gave out. What should have distracted us, only made for a better angle. I breathed his name as his thrusts became erratic. I wanted to scream it – to tell him I loved him, but I wasn't completely senseless. I heard my name fall off his lips over the sound of the bed completely collapsing. He covered my mouth again, cutting off my scream as I was plunged over the edge. Seconds later, he joined me, groaning in a way that had me ready for a round two.

I gasped for air as Emmett stilled over me, his eyes closed. He was still inside me when he kissed my lips again, soft and loving. "I think we broke the bed…" I breathed looking at the rubble around us. There's no way everyone didn't hear that. Feathers still danced in the air around us, settling in Emmett's curly hair.

"Only the bed?" He gave me a wicked smirk. "I guess we have more work to do." My eyes widened as I felt him grow hard inside me once again.

* * *

The next morning I woke up with a satisfied smile on my face. It quickly slipped when I realized Emmett was nowhere to be found. Rubbing my eyes, I took in the damage. The bed was broken along with two chairs, a dresser and a window… That last one went a little rogue. Shaking my head, I quickly padded to the shower, happy that it was free.

When I walked into the kitchen, I was met by a round of applause from not only my pack, but Jasper, Alice, and Rosalie as well. "Very funny." I rolled my eyes and made a beeline for Emmett who was standing at the stove. "What's all this?"

He wrapped an arm around my waist and kissed the top of my head as he pushed the burned eggs and bacon around with a spatula. "I made breakfast." He looked so proud of himself, all I could do was smile.

"Isn't that sweet, Matt?" James fluttered his eyelashes at his brother.

"The sweetest." Matt matched the action.

"Shut up." I threw a grape at James who caught it effortlessly, popping it in his mouth.

"I think it's about time you got laid." Ty smirked over his coffee, earning a scoff from Nick.

"You're one to talk." The younger male mumbled. I followed his gaze over to Rosalie, who was suddenly very interested in her nails.

The laugh tore from my throat before I could stop it. "No way! Rosalie and Ty?" I wiped away an imaginary tear as Emmett's laughter joined mine. They had been at each other's throats for the last month!

"It was just sex. No need to make a big deal over it." Rosalie huffed.

"Exactly." Ty agreed.

"Alexandria." Carlisle's soft tone drew my attention as the others continued to make fun of Ty and Rose. "After breakfast, do you think you and Emmett could meet me in my study? I have a theory I would like to test."

I was confused, but nodded nonetheless. It was the least I could do, we _did_ break the bed he gave me. "Sure."

* * *

AN: Reviews are loved!


	22. Chapter Twenty-One - The Experiment

AN: Whaaaat!? Another update so soon? Only because I love you guys! I've been on a roll with this story the last few days (just getting into the juicy parts of Breaking Dawn). Have any of you read the new Twilight book? The gender swap one? I have mixed feelings about it, but I would love to hear your thoughts!

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-One**

 _The Experiment_

* * *

Emmett was as clueless as I was in regards to what Carlisle wanted to talk to us about. Apparently, he was known for doing these little 'experiments', and they ranged in difficulty and danger. After helping clean the kitchen, we made our way to the third floor where Carlisle's study was. It was just as I remembered it – sans whiteboard. That felt like forever ago…

"Ah, glad you two came so quickly." Carlisle stood and smiled.

"That's what she said." Emmett mumbled. I elbowed him in the stomach and shook my head at his boyish chuckle. It seemed to be the norm for Emmett though, because Carlisle didn't even acknowledge it.

"I was going over my data – well, _your_ data, Alex." Carlisle pulled out a folder, showing us graphs that meant absolutely nothing to me. "The effects of our venom on wolves has been unknown – at least to me – until now. I was surprised to find that it practically de-wolfed you, if you'll pardon the term. Here, you can see your levels compared to Bella's." Got it, blue line was slightly higher up on the graph.

"So the vampire venom neutralizes the wolf gene?" Emmett asked, seemingly understanding everything put in front of him. My mind flashed back to the physics book he had been reading. Holy shit! Emmett was smart! I'm not saying I thought he was stupid, but he had always been more brawn than brains. Surprisingly, this was a turn on. "But her levels were too low here." He pointed to a tiny blue dot. "That means that in a larger dose, it could have been fatal." _Whoa, what?_

"Exactly." Carlisle reached over and flipped the page. "Here, you see the results of a saliva sample I took from Alex – sorry about that –" He gave me a quick smile. " – I ran several tests against both human DNA and my own venom."

"No effect on humans but…" Emmett drifted off as he read the chart in his hands. He looked up at me with a confused look. He wasn't expecting me to contribute, was he? I had no fucking idea what was going on! "It neutralized the venom." He finished. Seeing that I didn't quite understand, he continued. "That means a werewolf bite could, in turn, humanize a vampire… for a while. Or you know, kill 'em."

"Humanize is a strong word." Carlisle crossed his arms as I tried to process everything. "It won't reverse the effects of vampirism, not completely. I hypothesize that it will have a parallel effect on you that it did on Alex."

Emmett raised an eyebrow. "You want to use me as a guinea pig, huh?"

Everything they said finally sank in. "Absolutely not." I shook my head. "If it is the same, it could kill him!"

"That's why we're going to try a very shallow bite." Carlisle gestured to the hospital-like set up in the corner of his office. How had I missed that!?

"I'm game!" Emmett clapped, his wide dimpled smile reappearing.

"Don't you two realize how dangerous this is?" I frowned as they walked over to the hospital bed. Ignoring me, Emmett pulled his shirt over his head and allowed Carlisle to hook several monitors up to him.

"Come on, Doll." He finally looked my way, smile still in place. "This could help us in the future."

"I agree, Alex." Carlisle nodded as I joined them. "This could change our understanding of each species."

I sighed and looked between the two pairs of hopeful golden eyes. "Just a small bite?"

"The smallest." Emmett held his hand out to me, pulling me between his dangling legs when I took it. He was closer to eye-level thanks to his position on the narrow black bed. My hands rested on his chest over several small wires.

"Okay." I frowned. I think it was safe to say that Emmett was my weakness. Cupping my face, he gave me the softest of kisses.

"We're all set when you are, Alex." Carlisle's focus was on one of the monitors. "Try to only bite down hard enough to get past the flesh. Once you hit what used to be his blood stream, that should be enough."

Nodding, I placed my hands on Emmett's shoulders. Although I was worried for Emmett, my inner wolf was practically pouncing at the opportunity to mark her mate. It's a werewolf ritual that I thought I had lost with Emmett. I placed my lips to his neck, leaving a soft kiss there before moving my mouth to where his shoulder and neck connected. His arms tightened around me as I licked the area once before carefully sinking my teeth into his marble flesh. It cracked under my bite – splintering out over his shoulder and up his neck. It reminded me of a cracked porcelain doll. When my teeth were about halfway in, I pulled back. Licking the spot once more, I watched as slowly healed, leaving the faintest of scars in its wake.

"Emmett, how are you feeling?" Carlisle was in Doctor mode, a clipboard already in his hand. I pulled back far enough to watch Emmett's face for any hint of pain.

"I feel okay… A little warm but I – " Before he could finish, his eyes rolled back and his body went limp. _Shit._

Catching his massive frame, I carefully laid him back against the bed. Carlisle helped me adjust him, checking on several monitors as he did so. "What's happening? Did I go to far?" A lump rose in my throat as I looked down at my helpless imprint. If I had done any permanent damage, I would never be able to forgive myself.

"No, you did wonderfully." Carlisle assured me with a fatherly hand on the shoulder. "I suspect – like you – the first stage for Emmett will be unconsciousness. Though, he'll probably be out a few hours instead of days."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. "Good. I'll stay with him."

"I figured you would." He smiled brightly. "I'm going to inform the others of Emmett's condition. I'll be back in an hour to check his vitals."

"Would you send Ty and Chase up here?" I called lightly as he reached the door.

"Of course."

Once I was left alone, I shifted my gaze back to Emmett. Carefully, I brushed a curl off of his forehead before placing a kiss there. Stupid imprint, making it impossible to say no to him. Shaking my head, I reminded myself that Emmett was strong. There was absolutely no way he would let a tiny bite do anything more than knock him on his ass for a few hours. I heard Ty and Chase enter the room, but I didn't turn to acknowledge them until they were a few feet away.

"We heard about Emmett. Is everything okay?" Ty asked his eyes shifting to the bed.

"Yeah." I shook my head. I needed to focus on other things at the moment. "I actually wanted to talk to you both before approaching the pack. First off, I heard you guys loud and clear; you will remain in my pack. Despite that, I feel it would be foolish of us not to have a… well, backup plan."

"Planning on going somewhere?" Chase's deep voice seemed to echo in the empty room.

"No, but you never know. We're crashing with vamps now – that means we'll probably run into some a lot more than we used to. If something happens to me, I want to make sure that Chase can assume the alpha role without issues."

"In that scenario, you know we'd follow him." Ty frowned, obviously not liking the direction this conversation was going. "What does that have to do with me?"

"Well, I think it's time I promote you to a delta." Ty's eyes widened, and even Chase looked a bit surprised. "I've thought about it since I woke up. You're the most sensible candidate. I hope the time will never come when you have to step up, but I want someone Chase can trust to be his right hand man."

"Me?" Tyler still seemed confused. "Why me?"

"James and Matt were the original candidates. They're young, but strong and obedient. Sadly, their strength relies on each other. If one were promoted and not the other, it could throw that balance off. Nick, although my second oldest pack mate, is too young. Not to mention his personal relationship with Chase could become problematic for the alpha-beta dynamic. Lilly will leave the pack – eventually. She's a good wolf, but it's not in her blood to lead."

"Okay, but what the hell is a delta?" A voice from the door called. I scowled at James as he burst in along with the rest of the pack.

"I don't remember calling a pack meeting." I crossed my arms.

"Come on, Alex, it's a small house." Nick smiled widely, taking his place beside Chase.

Sighing in defeat, I waited for them all to settle in before explaining. "A delta is a beta in training. He or she ranks above a regular pack member, but bellow the acting beta. In the event Chase has to become alpha, Ty will become beta."

"Wow, big man is getting a promotion." James slapped Ty on the back, seemingly fine with the whole thing.

"If you accept, Ty, we can do it now." I offered. It wasn't like a ceremony or anything, just a linking of arms and a few words. The pack would be able to feel the shift as soon as it happens.

"Yeah – absolutely." He smiled and looked to Chase. "If you're okay with it too, man."

Chase nodded once. "You're a good choice."

Without another word, Chase held out his arm. I gripped his forearm, my fingers not even making it half way around. With a shaky breath, Ty grabbed mine, allowing Chase to grab his own. We looked down at our arms that formed a triangle. The rest of the pack watched on in curiosity. For once, they were quiet.

"Alpha." I all but growled out, my voice more wolf than human.

"Beta." Chase followed suit.

Ty hesitated for a moment before standing straighter. "Delta."

The effect was instant. I watched the rest of the pack shutter lightly before I closed my eyes, allowing the feeling to wash over me. It wasn't unpleasant, just intense. Like the euphoric high you get after a run. Finally breaking our triangle, I opened my eyes. Ty would begin training with Chase as soon as possible, and I would have to eventually train Chase. He was old enough and wise enough to figure it out on his own, but it was in the spirit of the pack. They filed out as Carlisle returned to check on Emmett, a plate of food for me in his hand.

I watched on as Carlisle looked over several print outs from the machine, scribbling something down on his clipboard. When he paused with a surprised look, I was immediately at his side.

"What is it? What's wrong?" I asked, looking at the monitor as if it would tell me something.

"He's dreaming…" Carlisle breathed in wonder.

* * *

AN: Reviews are looooved!

Sneak Peek (which no one pointed out I was spelling wrong like a dumb dumb lol):

 _"Emmett McCarty, don't you ever dare think that I love you less now just because you're a vampire. I might not like vampires, but you're you, no matter what!"_


	23. Chapter Twenty-Two -Emmett's POV - The

AN: I just finished the re-imagined Twilight book. I wasn't crazy about it, but I did like the part where he actually turns into a vampire - oops, maybe I should have put a spoiler warning? Either way, a lot of it is the same.

Do you guys realize this fic is at like 50k words? That's like a legit novel! I didn't think I would come this far with ATFL. We've got quite a few chapters left, but we're nearing the end.

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Two**

 _Emmett's POV - The Human Vampire_

* * *

I nearly cried out as my head throbbed. When was the last time my head hurt? I couldn't even remember… Actually, when was the last time I 'woke up'? I tried to open my eyes, but the light was nearly blinding, not helping my head at all.

"It's too bright." I could hear Alex's voice echo through the pain. Even though the volume hurt, I wanted to hear more. Her voice seemed lighter than usual – more… supernatural? It was weird, but it was the only word I could use to describe it.

"I'll get the lights." This time, it was Carlisle. "Emmett, can you hear us?"

"Yeah, kind of hard not to." I mumbled as I brought a hand to my face. Even though my eyes were closed, I could tell the light had dimmed considerably. Nearly sighing in relief, I slowly peeled my eyes open.

"Emmett…" Alex breathed, her eyes meeting mine. They were wide, and her mouth hung open. "Oh... wow…"

"What?" I asked, worried. Had something gone wrong? Carlisle rushed to her side, looking like a blur to me. Could I not keep up with his vampire speed anymore? Maybe this worked too well…

"Oh my…" Carlisle looked from me to his clipboard. He wrote silently for a minute, but didn't answer.

"Can someone tell me what the hell is wrong with me?" I hissed as I pulled myself into a sitting position. My body ached and felt weak.

"It's not really… wrong." Alex frowned, finally pulling her gaze from mine. She quickly moved to Carlisle's desk, returning with a polished silver letter opener. "Look at your eyes…"

I took the opener from her, turning it on its side to use the polished silver as a mirror. I nearly dropped it with a gasp as bright blue with honey rims looked back at me. My eyes… they were almost human. I looked back at them, but they were busy talking lowly. I couldn't make out every word – which just worried me more.

"This is fascinating." Carlisle smiled up at me. "You're taking it very well."

"How do you feel?" Alex's tone was stern, but I could see the worry in her eyes.

"Weak… and my stomach hurts." I groaned. Again, Carlisle wrote on his clipboard.

I carefully swung my legs over the side of the small bed, trying not to pull off any of the cords that were attached to me. Frowning, Alex watched me for a few minutes, tilting her head as if she were listening to something. Without a word, she reached over and grabbed half a sandwich off a nearby plate.

"Try this." She offered and held it out to me.

"No thanks." I shook my head. "I tried human food a few years ago… tastes like dirt!"

"Emmett, I suggest you try it." Carlisle said, not looking up from his paperwork. "For research of course."

"Of course." I mumbled and took the sandwich from Alex. Bringing it to my lips, I carefully took a bite. "Holy shit!" I looked from the sandwich to their smiling faces. "This is amazing!" I finished it in two bites. A thought struck me then. "How long should this last?"

"Oh, a few days." Carlisle answered, his eyes back to his paperwork. "It'll trickle out slowly.

"Yes!" I nearly jumped up and down. "Thanksgiving is tomorrow, and I'm going to eat _everything_." Alex's musical laughter filled the room, immediately drawing my attention. "What are you laughing at?" I smiled, reaching out to pull her towards me. Her heat was overwhelming now.

"This is so weird." She mumbled as she placed her hands on either side of my face. She looked from one eye to the other. "They're almost the same color they were when you were human… and your cheeks have more color." She ran her thumbs over my skin, smiling lightly.

"Once you get some of your strength back, we'll run a few tests." Carlisle declared, quickly excusing himself from the room.

Alex's eyes never left mine. She didn't even acknowledge that he had said anything. "So… I look human?" I raised an eyebrow. It was like she was in a trance.

"More human, but not _quite_ human." Her voice was low as she took a step closer. "Your heart is still." As if to reassure herself, she placed one hand over my bare chest.

"Do you like me better like this?" I couldn't help but feel a bit insecure. This was as close to the Emmett that she fell in love with that she was going to get. Her eyes immediately widened. She looked as if someone had slapped her.

"Emmett McCarty, don't you ever dare think that I love you less now just because you're a vampire. I might not like vampires, but you're you, no matter what!"

I smiled slowly, my hands pulling her even closer against me. She hadn't even realized what she said. It seemed like a pattern with us. I wasn't sure if it was her skin, my new human-like body, or just the emotion of it, but I suddenly felt warm… God, I was glad Edward wasn't around to read that thought. "You said you loved me…"

She shook her head. "Crap… Will we ever get this right?" She laughed lightly.

"Seems right to me." I cupped her face, bringing her lips to mine. The sensation of her lips on mine were different, but no less enjoyable. "I love you too, Doll."

* * *

"Okay Emmett, now that we know your sight and hearing have lessened, we need to test your speed." Carlisle stated, his trusty clipboard in hand. The wolf pack stood on one side of the yard while the rest of my family stood on the other. Some of them looked amused, but others looked bored.

"I'll race him." Nicolas smiled widely as he practically bounced up and down. Chase placed a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.

"You're too fast."

"Chase is right." Carlisle nodded. "I would like to compare your speed to a wolf's, but Nicolas is faster than us at full strength. Matt, would you do the honors?"

The twin on the left nodded, pulling his shirt over his head. I quickly looked away. I didn't understand why they had to undress every time they shifted. Alice would gladly take them clothes shopping to replace the clothes they lost. I heard a deep growl before I was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with a large spotted wolf.

"On the count of three." Carlisle pulled out a stop watch. I got into position, winking at Alex as I did so. "One… Two… Three." We were off.

I started off well, at least I was holding my own. When we crossed the river, Matt began pulling ahead. With a hiss, I tried to push my legs faster, but they refused. I didn't feel tired or anything, it was like I was running in mud. At the designated half-way point, Matt turned and headed back. He yipped as he passed me. With a curse, I reached the halfway point. By the time I made it back to the house, Matt was already redressing. I cursed again as Carlisle recorded the data on his clip board.

"Okay, Emmett. That was great.

* * *

 _Alex's POV_

* * *

"Hey Bella." I smiled into the cellphone as I watched Emmett take off after Matt. I slowly stepped away from the others, knowing they would be able to hear Bella too. "Aren't you supposed to be having crazy endless sex?" I joked lightly.

"That's actually why I called…"

"I didn't know you felt that way, Bella." A smile pulled at my lips. "I can talk to Emmett, I'm sure he'd be okay with it."

She didn't laugh at my joke, instead she just sighed. "Edward won't have sex with me. We had sex once and when he saw how bruised I was, he freaked out."

I frowned over the commotion behind me as Emmett and Matt returned. "Just tell Edward not to be so hard on himself. Hell, even humans bruise each other during sex sometimes… When it's good."

She sighed again. "I'll try. Thanks, Alex."

"Hey, Bella!" I called before she could hang up.

"Yeah?"

"If all else fails, Alice packed you a lot of ammunition."

* * *

AN: Reviews are loved! Next chapter sneak peek:

 _'Meeting at the house. Everyone. Urgent._

 _-Carlisle'_


	24. Chapter Twenty-Three - The Phone Call

AN: Sorry this took so long! I'm sick - yes, again! As soon as the cold weather shows up, my immune system goes on vacation somewhere warm! Ironic, considering it's my favorite time of year!

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Three**

 _The Phone Call_

* * *

Thanksgiving passed in a blur, mostly because it was a whirl of Emmett eating anything he could shove into his mouth, and then throwing it up. I patted his back like a good mate, and cooed over his shoulder while suppressing a laugh. I knew I should have been more empathetic, but how many times do you get to see a vampire puke his guts out?

Over the next few days, Emmett's strength slowly returned. Carlisle had collected several binders' worth of data – which he promised to keep under lock and key. _We_ didn't even fully understand the implications of his research. I shuttered to think what the information in the wrong hands could do.

Other than our little experiment, things were getting boring. The pack was always off doing their own thing in town, having grown accustom to Forks. The rain kept me inside most days, but Emmett didn't share my sentiment. Once again, I found myself at the house alone with Rosalie as the other members scattered. We sat in comfortable silence, too preoccupied with our own thoughts to make small talk. Ever since our little girl talk, things with Rosalie had been far less tense. We weren't quite friends yet, but we were civil. It was a start.

The simultaneous buzzing of our phones jerked us out of our tranquil silence. Exchanging a look with the blonde, I peered down at my phone.

 _Meeting at the house. Everyone. Urgent._

 _-Carlisle_

Well that seemed promising. I frowned as looked back to Rosalie, my worried look mirrored in her beautiful face. "I wonder what that's about." Her red lips pulled into a frown.

"And here I was just thinking about how boring things have been." I smiled as my phone buzzed again. This time, a familiar number flashed across the screen. "Hey, Bella. How is your honeymoon?" I asked as casually as possible. No need to worry her if it wasn't necessary.

"Alex – Is Rose there?" My eyebrows must have shot into my hairline. Bella had an even tenser relationship with Rose than I did – and that was saying something. Eyeing the blonde, I passed her the phone, fully intent to eavesdrop… It was my phone after all.

"Bella, its Rosalie." Her usually careful voice had a nervous edge to it – one I was sure Bella's human ears wouldn't pick up. "Is something wrong? Does this have anything to do with why Carlisle just called an urgent meeting?" Of course it did. It _was_ Bella after all.

"Rosalie, I need your help…" Bella's voice wavered. I leaned forward in my seat, though I could hear just fine. "I- I'm pregnant. We don't know how it happened, but Edward is freaking out! I need your help, Rose – yours too Alex, I know you can hear me!" Rose's wide honey eyes met mine. "Edward wants to kill it – he's not giving me a choice. I love him already, I can't let Edward do this!" She was sobbing now, her voice small.

I listened to Rosalie try to calm Bella down as her words swirled in my mind. This had a lot of implications – for everyone. On the one hand, I wanted to protect Bella, and if this thing was growing already, there was no telling what it would do to her frail human body. On the other, it wasn't my choice to make. As much as I wanted to protect Bella, it wasn't my place to tell her to abort her unborn fetus. I was pro-choice and all, but this situation was… tricky. Was it really worth Bella's life?

I was still in my mental debate as Rosalie hung up the phone, quickly telling me that I couldn't tell anyone that Bella had contacted us. If Edward knew that Rose – and possibly I – had plans of helping Bella commit suicide, he wouldn't even bring her home. I was so wrapped up in everything, I almost didn't notice when Emmett flew through the door and landed himself by my side.

"Hey, Babe." He waved his hand in front of my face. He had taken to calling me 'babe' over the last few days. I didn't mind as much as I thought I would. "You okay?"

Before I could answer, the rest of the pack and Cullen's began to file in. "Everyone!" Carlisle drew the attention to himself. "We have a problem…"

To say there was tension in the house after the news broke would be an understatement. There seemed to be a serious divide in the house over what to do. Alice and Ty were adamant about ripping the fetus out of Bella as soon as possible – if only to save her life. Of course, that meant that Jasper was along with them. Rosalie and Esme were on the other end, determined to let Bella carry the baby to term. The rest of us fell in a gray area. Either way, I knew this was just the beginning of the fighting.

When the time came to pick Edward and Bella up from the airport, it was pure chaos. We took several cars, and gained more than a few looks. I was still on the fence about what side to take when Bella rushed away from Edward and into Rosalie's arms. The look on his face would have been comical in any other situation. It was watching Bella sob that really sank the message in. I didn't have to pick a side, because it wasn't my choice to make. Placing a hand on Bella's shoulder, I let my alliance become clear. Some of the pack members raised their heads in acknowledgement – well, all by Ty did. He looked hurt but determined. I nodded once to him, letting him know that I respected where he stood, and wouldn't force him to side with me. After all, Bella _was_ his cousin.

Over the next several days the house was filled with chaos. It seemed like arguing was the new past time in the Cullen house. The only time I got any peace was when I curled up in Emmett's arms at night. Ty was still angry at the situation, but not at my role in it. The rest of the pack seemed indifferent – cautious even. I understood their fear too. We didn't know what that thing inside Bella was, and that was made even clearer when Jacob Black visited. This thing could kill us all.

I watched from the second floor balcony as Jacob ripped from the yard to the woods. This wasn't good. My eyes landed on Nicolas standing in the backyard. His mismatched eyes rose to meet mine after looking after Jacob. "Follow him." I spoke in a low tone, knowing he would be able to hear me. "Don't interfere, but find out how the others react." Because I knew Jacob couldn't conceal his thoughts from them. Nick nodded once before jumping, phasing mid-air.

As I watched the brown wolf bound into the woods, a strong pair of cold arms folded around me. I closed my eyes as his cold lips landed on the side of my neck. "Did I ever tell you how hot it is when you go all alpha?" Emmett purred, his lips moving upward.

I fought the smile pulling at my lips as I turned my head sideways to catch his lips. "I don't believe you mentioned it." I kissed him one more time before refocusing on the woods. "This is bad, Emmett." I breathed, sinking back into his large chest. "If you thought the tension in the house was bad…" I shook my head. "Sam isn't going to take this well. He's too young, too sheltered. He fears the unknown."

"I think we all do." He hugged me a bit tighter. "We all want Bella to be okay."

A dozen howls caused my back to go ridged. The loudest one was unmistakably Nick. Pecking Emmett one more time, I threw my legs over the railing, phasing before I hit the grass. The rest of my pack joined me one by one.

 _'Not good.'_ Nicolas thought frantically. _'Very not good!'_

Lower than his thoughts, I could hear Sam's pack panicking. Not only over the Bella thing, but Jacob had left. I was surprised he had chosen Bella over his pack. It wasn't that I doubted his feelings for her, just that she wasn't his imprint… and she was married… and pregnant. Guess I shouldn't have underestimated the power of teen love.

 _'Ty, Chase, warn the Cullen's.'_ I demanded, mentally keeping track of Jacob. He was almost here, and he was seeking me out. _'Lilly, go check on Seth, I know you want to._ ' She breathed a sigh before bouncing off. _'Nick, Matt, James – I want you to run a wide perimeter. Until we know what they intend to do, only Jacob and Seth are allowed close to the house.'_ I paused, listening to the thoughts of Sam's pack. _'And Leah.'_

By the time I phased and dressed, Jacob was waiting in the yard for me. I took note of all the little muscles in his arms and jaw twitching. He was angry and desperate. Even though he was the one to leave Sam's pack, I could tell he felt betrayed. Sadly, not all wolves were so understanding when it came to vampires and the unknown.

"I want to talk to you." Jacob's jaw was tight.

"I figured as much." I kept my voice and gaze level, noting Carlisle watching from the third floor balcony.

"Sam plans on killing Bella… He'll go through anyone to make sure that _thing_ is killed." He sighed, his face finally showing his age. "I want to join your pack – to protect them."

I gave Jacob a sad smile. "No."

"What?" He was livid again.

"I said no Jacob. It's time you took your place as alpha. Even if I took you into my pack, that itch for power would always be there."

"I'm not like you!" He gestured to me and then Carlisle. "Birth right or not!"

"It's not our birthright that makes us leaders, Jake. It's our ability to instill hope in others – to call the shots and earn the respect and trust they give us. It's not glamorous, it's something that comes naturally to us."

Jacob's face fell. "I don't have that." He shook his head, once again looking between Carlisle and myself. "I don't have what it takes to influence and lead others."

I smiled as my eyes drifted over his shoulder. "Don't you?" His brow furrowed before he followed my gaze to where Leah and Seth stood waiting. As I walked past him, I clapped him on the shoulder. "Welcome to the ranks, Alpha."

* * *

AN: Reviews are loved! They help me get better :3

Sneak Peek:

 _'"You didn't have to get me anything, Em. Actually, I'm not even sure how you did." I laughed. My laughter instantly died when he produced a small worn blue box from his pocket. Holy shit… Is that?...'_


	25. Chapter Twenty – Four - Starving

AN: I've been slacking . I'm back on top of things now, and just got done writing chapter twenty six! I'm super excited about that one! As always, thank you to everyone that reviewed! Reviews always inspire me to write more! I know people have been asking, and YES, I do plan on finishing my other fics as soon as this one is done, though it might be harder than I realized to say goodbye to Alex and her pack. I've grown quite attached to them! Maybe when all is said and done, I'll do a spin off mini-series or something to make myself feel better!

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty – Four**

 _Starving_

* * *

"She's starving." Edward frowned as he looked at Bella's skeletal face.

"We all are." Emmett mumbled from beside me. I placed my hand over his and squeezed.

Thanks to Sam's pack we were boxed in. My pack could take them – I was sure of it, but we were growing weaker. Carlisle wanted to try and settle everything without fighting… He was just giving them the advantage. The Cullen's had black eyes from not eating, but they seemed in control. Those of us that ate human food had depleted our supply a week ago and were currently living off small animals that wandered too close to the house.

The hunger was messing with all of us. I was even having trouble on focusing. I cringed as Carlisle handed Bella a small cup of blood. She seemed to enjoy it, but a gulping sound from my left is what caught my attention. Poor Emmett looked like he would cry if he could.

"That's it." I growled as I stood, anger flaring through me. They could starve me out if they wanted, but the second they messed with Emmett, it was game on. I snapped my fingers and my pack was on my heels.

"Where are you going, Alex?" Even Emmett's voice was weak. It took all of my self-control not to phase right there. For the first time in decades, my body shook with the force to contain it.

The rest of the Cullen's followed too, watching as we stripped. Turning, I kissed Emmett once. "We're going to get you some god damned food!"

Esme looked worried. "But Sam…"

"Fuck Sam!" I growled, not turning towards her. I looked to my pack, each of their faces as angry as mine. "They'll try to use our absence against us. Lilly, Nick, you guys stay with Jacob's pack." They nodded obediently. "James, Matt, Chase, Ty… Don't kill Sam's wolves, but knock them on their asses if you have to."

Determination flared in Jacob's eyes. "I can try to buy you guys some time."

I nodded once. "We'll go out, grab a few animals and head back. No games. The Cullen's can have the blood and we can use the meat." James groaned at the promise of actual meat. "Let's go." I gave Emmett once more reassuring look before exploding in white fur.

"Alex!" Emmett's voice reached my ears before I could take another step. He jogged up to me, his hands working into my white fur. I looked into his black eyes and whined. How dare they make my imprint suffer!? "I know you're too stubborn to change your mind, so just be careful out there." He sighed, kissing the side of my muzzle. "I love you."

I rubbed my head against his chest before turning back to the pack.

 _'Jacob wants to talk to us.'_ I could hear Quil think to the others. Chase, Ty, Matt, and James fell into step on either side of me.

 _'What does that traitor want?'_ It was Paul this time, angry as ever.

 _'Let's hear him out, man…'_ Jared urged his friend. _'Maybe he's had enough of the leeches and wants to come back…'_

One by one, their voices disappeared as they phased to join Jacob. I silently thanked him as I sprinted forward. The younger members of Sam's pack were left, but they were inexperienced and not much of a threat – even in our weakened state. Sam himself didn't seem to be phased, we could only hope it stayed that way.

 _'Try to get two deer each'_ I ordered as the forest flew by me, my boys on my flanks. _'That should be enough blood to hold the Cullen's over, and enough meat to help us outlast Sam's little wall.'_

 _'What if we have to confront them?'_ Matt asked, his mind already running over several scenarios.

I sighed, knowing that it might come down to hurting our own kind. It wasn't something looked kindly upon by wolves – especially when it was in defense of vampires. _'Try to deter them… If it comes down to it, do what you have to do.'_

We worked quickly, easily taking down a mountain lion and three deer before Sam's pack caught wind of us. Nick connected with us, letting us know that they were headed our way. Taking down another mountain lion, I decided we better not push our luck. Ty, Chase, and I ran the food back while James and Matt caused a distraction.

 _'Split up!'_ I called, swerving to the left. They obeyed, making their way back to the house. As I ran, I caught sight of a tiny wolf. I could tell by his uncensored thoughts that it was Brady. _'Keep moving pup…'_ I warned with a growl as he contemplated following me, possibly stopping me. The mountain lion between my teeth bobbed as I turned to meet his eye as I passed him. _'This is out of your league.'_

He seemed to heed my word, watching me with wide eyes. I could hear his pack mates curse him, and threaten him. I felt bad for the young wolf, but it was him or Emmett. I would choose my pack and my mate every time. I could see the lights from the Cullen house up ahead, listening to Sam's pack curse as I glided over an invisible line they had drawn. I mentally accounted for each of my pack members, sighing when they were all safe.

When I skidded to a stop in the Cullen's front yard, Esme took the kill from me with a gracious smile. After thanking me several times, she carried it to the backyard where I assumed they were feeding. Phasing back, I was almost knocked off my feet as Emmett barreled into me.

"That's my girl!" He cheered as he pulled me off my feet, spinning me in circles. When he pulled away, I glanced into his golden eyes with a smile. He had fed. It was a primal satisfaction that washed over me. The pride in feeding my mate. "My naked girl." Emmett smirked down at me as he peeled his shirt off and handed it to me. My gaze lingered on his chest a while before I brought his lips to mine.

"Well, you might be fed, but I'm sick of squirrels." I crinkled my nose with a laugh as I made my way to where I could smell deer cooking.

We took turns patrolling that night, our strength back. We were worried about how easily Sam's pack had backed down. It could be because my pack – old and strong – intimidated him, or it could be because he was planning. Opening my eyes, I glanced out the window into the moonlight, my body sinking into the soft mattress. The door to the room opened with a low click, the scent washing over me all together. With a smile I watched Emmett's large frame move across the dark and into the small room.

"Hey you." I nearly purred as I stretched, my muscled finally relaxing. "Where have you been? Usually you're here waiting for me after patrol."

"I was up in the attic looking around." He shrugged and slid into bed next to me, his lips seeking mine out.

"I never thought I would be so happy to see your eyes back to gold." I smiled up at him and ran my fingers over the light shadow under his eyes. He was looking so much more… lively.

"I have you to thank for that." His large arms tightened around me. "You really saved us, Alexandria. I don't think any of us would have been able to deal if Bella went into labor without us feeding."

Despite my pride, I felt myself blush at his praise. "I was just providing for my mate." I gave him a wide smile, one my wolf agreed with. "It felt… right."

He gave me a heartbreaking dimpled smile. "Well, thank you." Pressing his lips to mine, I loved the cold feeling of him. "And I have something for you." There was a glint in his eye, one I couldn't quite place.

He sat up, and I joined him, watching with amusement as he dug through his pockets. "You didn't have to get me anything, Em. Actually, I'm not even sure how you did." I laughed. My laughter instantly died when he produced a small worn blue box from his pocket. _Holy shit… Is that?..._

"Yeah, pretty nerve wracking to look at, huh?" He laughed nervously. It was so unlike him to seem unsure. If my heart wasn't about to beat out of my chest, I might have teased him about it. "It's yours, Alex… It always was." He lifted his golden eyes to meet mine. "Just like I was…"

"Emmett…" He cut me off with a shake of his head. This was something that was difficult for him, I could see that.

"I had a whole speech planned, but that was decades ago." He laughed, his dimples coming back full force. "Times changed – we changed. I don't need a speech, and I don't think you do either. I love you, Alexandria, and when all this is over, I want to marry you and never lose you again."

I nearly gasped as flipped the box open and showed me the beautiful ring inside. It was obviously bought in the thirties. It was timeless and elegant. Exactly what 1930's Emmett would have bought. It was only when Emmett started fidgeting that I realized I hadn't answered. "Of course!" I breathed, launching myself at him. "I love you, Emmett."

I kissed him as he slid the ring on my finger. Perfect fit… "I get to plan the wedding!" Alice's voice rang out from the first floor. Several laughs followed.

* * *

AN: When I wrote the chapter waaaay back at the beginning where Emmett goes through his human stuff in the attic, I _knew_ he was going to propose again with that ring. There was no way he couldn't!

Reviews are loooooved!

Next chapter sneak peek:

 _'"Babe…" He hesitated, looking me up and down. "Are you hurt?" His eyes were frantic as they glided over the blood soaking my fur. With a half-laugh I phased back into my human form._

 _"It's Sam's."'_


	26. Chapter Twenty Five - Renesmee

AN: The next few chapters are going to be on the sorter side, mostly because I'm trying to gloss over Edward/Bella's story lol. Prepare for upcoming drama!

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Five**

 _Renesmee_

* * *

I was woken in the middle of the night by the commotion. Emmett wasn't beside me, which worried me further. I was on my feet before I could even make sense of the yelling. When I reached the third floor, I could see what all the fuss was about. Bella had gone into labor.

"Get her into my office." Carlisle ordered Edward.

"What can I do?" I asked, screaming over Bella's agony.

"Take care of Emmett!" Rosalie called, nodding in his direction.

My breath caught when my eyes landed on Emmett standing against the far wall, his eyes pitch black. Stepping in front of him, I tried to pull his gaze away from Bella. "Hey…" I breathed, nearly sighing when his eyes darted to me. "Let's take a walk, big guy." I gave him a small smile. Wordlessly, he blinked and nodded. He allowed me to pull him downstairs and outside to the front porch.

"Alex!" Matt's voice reached me over the chaos still waging inside. It looked like they weren't doing much better out here.

I frowned, noticing that my entire pack and a good handful of the Cullen's were on the lawn. Upstairs, I could hear Edward say that it was a girl. "Sam's pack is coming!" James finished for his twin.

"Be ready then." I took a deep breath as I listened to the commotion upstairs. They were trying to inject Bella with Edward's venom now. "We'll fight them if we have to."

"Not alone you won't." Emmett's hand tightened around mine, his eye back to a deep butterscotch. "I'll get Carlisle and Esme." With a quick kiss, he was back inside. He seemed to have better control now, so I let him go without a fight.

I jumped off the porch, phasing as I hit the grass. I could hear Sam's pack barking out orders, the chaos obvious. I almost didn't want to face them, just because I knew we would kill them. The thought escaped the barriers of my mind, drawing the attention of my pack mates.

 _'How hard do you want us to fight?'_ Chase's voice was as level as ever.

 _'As hard as you need to.'_ I sighed, knowing that there was no avoiding it this time.

I could hear his pack drawing closer now, the leaves and twigs crunching under their paws. As we got into formation, the rest of the Cullen's joined us – all but Edward and Rosalie. I noticed Leah and Seth were present, but Jacob was still inside. I didn't have time to think about his grieving for Bella. I had faith she would pull through… She had to.

 _'Now!'_ I growled as they broke through the trees.

I jumped, my teeth bared. I met Sam head on in a flurry of white and black fur. As we jumped and bit, I kept tabs on Emmett. He seemed okay, just angry that no one would fight him. Apparently, they still honored the imprint. That was comforting on some level. Seth yipped as Paul slammed him against a tree. Ty immediately took his place, knocking Paul back a few feet.

 _'Stand down, Sam!'_ I growled at Sam, the taste of his blood on my lips. I didn't have to look to know it was covering the white fur of my chest.

 _'We can't! That thing is a monster!'_ Sam tried to lunge at me, but whimpered as he put pressure on his injured paw.

"Stop!" Jacob called as he burst from the door. He phased instantly, giving us all a reply of what had just happened.

Like a switch had been flipped, the wolves stopped. I watched through Jacob's eyes as he imprinted on Renesmee. She was untouchable. Sam was conflicted, but ordered his pack to back off. With a warning against the half-vamp, they retreated the way they came.

"He imprinted on her…" I heard Edward explain to the others.

When I was sure they were gone, I turned to Emmett, my guard lowered now that I knew he was safe. "Babe…" He hesitated, looking me up and down. "Are you hurt?" His eyes were frantic as they glided over the blood soaking my fur. With a half-laugh I phased back into my human form.

"It's Sam's." I took his offered shirt, smiling as he leaned down to kiss me.

"That's my girl!"

* * *

"Are you sure she's okay?" I asked Carlisle as I watched Bella's unmoving body. It had been just one day, but she hadn't moved an inch. Her heart was weak, but clearly beating.

"It's just the morphine keeping her still. If this works, it could help all those changing in the future."

I just hummed, not liking the idea of seeing others change. Carlisle left, leaving me alone with Bella's unmoving body. We agreed to take shifts talking to her, helping to make the change easier. The Cullen's were out hunting to make up for their dry spell, and the rest of my pack were lounging around the house. I talked to Bella about all the changes I could see, and what the future would hold. I talked to her about my wedding, whenever that might be, and how I wanted her to be a bridesmaid. I thought it would be uncomfortable talking to an unconscious body, but the time flew by. Before I knew it, Jasper was coming in for his shift.

"Hey, Babe." Emmett paused his lifting just long enough to smile at me.

At first, I found it hilarious that the Cullen's used the gym they installed for the pack to burn off some steam, but hey, who was I to tell Emmett not to work out shirtless? Matching his smile, I threw one leg over the bench and leaned back. Wrapping my fingers around the bar, I easily freed the five hundred pound weight from where it was held. With an easy exhale, I brought it to my chest and held it there before lifting again.

"Need a spot?" Emmett's husky voice was closer than it should have been.

I didn't, but again, shirtless Emmett. "Sure, big guy." I smirked as he took his place at my head.

"Just helping you out." He feigned innocence.

"Of course…"

* * *

I groaned as my body was pressed between the cold shower wall and Emmett's even colder body. Under my shoulders, I felt the tile break and splinter. Emmett's large hand gripped my thigh, hiking my leg up over his hip. My lips moved from his to cover his smooth jaw and neck.

A shutter wracked my body as I let my fingers spread across his broad chest. Everything about Emmett was so… _masculine._ Even though his breath was unneeded, I heard it pick up as my teeth graze his collar bone. There wasn't one inch of this man that I didn't love.

He moaned my name as he entered me, hot clashing with cold. A shiver ran down my spine, despite the hot water that pelted us both. I threw my head back as Emmett moved, ever muscle in his body rippling. The tile behind me cracked again, this time lower. I thought I heard Esme complain about her house somewhere on the first floor, but I couldn't bring myself to care.

"Alexandria…" Emmett groaned as he dropped his face to my neck.

I felt my body tense up, his soft voice pushing me over the edge. Gripping Emmett's shoulders, I pulled him with me, my eyes fluttering closed.

"I love you." I breathed into his cold skin.

"I love you too."

* * *

AN: Reviews are loved! Next chapter Sneak Peek:

 _""Babe… Who are they?" I could feel Emmett's worry and need to protect me._

 _"They're… My brothers.""_


	27. Chapter Twenty Six - Vampire Bella

AN: So things pick up around this chapter, but it's another short one. They'll be longer starting next chapter! There are a few Easter eggs in here ;D I think you'll get a kick out of them if you catch them!

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty-Six**

 _Vampire Bella_

* * *

"She's awake." Alice spoke softly.

Instinctively, we all looked up to the ceiling. I shushed Renesmee as I bounced her lightly in my arms. Her tiny hand rose to my cheek and an image of Bella popped into my head.

"Yeah, that's your mommy." I smiled down at the tiny girl with eyes wiser than they should be.

"You're good with her." Emmett smiled over my shoulder, a conflicted look in his eyes.

"She's easy to get along with." I smiled as we listened to Bella and Edward leave for a hunt.

"Is it safe for her to be around Nessie?" Lilly asked as she eyed the small baby. She had taken quite a liking to Renesmee. I knew she was excited for the day when she would become a mother, but Seth was still young.

We waited in tense silence for Bella to return. Sure enough, it wasn't long before we could hear her and Edward outside the house. At first, Jacob was planning to be Bella's test subject, but I offered instead, knowing he hated being away from Renesmee. There was still the matter of telling Bella…

Hand and hand, Emmett and I walked out to meet Bella and Edward. "Well, don't you look like a doll." I smiled at her.

"This is amazing." She laughed. "Can I see Renesmee?"

"We thought it would be better if you tested your resolve on something a little more resilient first." Edward's eyes shot to me. "Renesmee is safe with Jacob and Rosalie."

"Jacob?" Bella laughed. "Since when does he even _like_ Renesmee? Edward and I exchanged a look while Emmett's shoulders shook with suppressed laughter.

Before Bella could ask him why he was laughing, I took a step forward. "Take a deep breath." I offered with my arms extended.

Hesitantly, she stepped forward and lowered her nose to my neck. I could practically feel Emmett tense up behind me. She took a deep breath, pausing before recoiling. "No offense, Alex, but you stink!"

"Not exactly sunshine and roses there yourself, Bells."

"Can I see Renesmee now?"

"Sure…" Edward looked like he would throw up if he could.

The fallout was, if nothing else, hilarious. Poor Jacob was helpless against Bella's newborn state as she tossed him around like a rag doll. When she turned on Seth, I almost stepped in, But Emmett placed a strong hand on my shoulder. Sure enough, they worked it out… Well, as worked out as it could be.

We fell into a comfortable groove after that. With all the drama surrounding Renesmee, I had forgotten about Charlie. Of course, Jacob found a way around that. He knew enough now for me to tell him my connection with his family, but I didn't. I considered it, but it would serve no purpose other than remind him of his dead father. Ty on the other hand opened up as soon as he could. Charlie was fascinated by everything, but tried not to ask too many questions.

When December hit, Renesmee looked eight. We were worried, but no one said it out loud. Carlisle spent most of his time locked away in his office reviewing anything he could about vampire hybrids. Emmett, Alice, and I spent a lot of our time planning the wedding. I wanted to wait for spring, maybe when the flowers were blooming. It wasn't because I was romantic – far from it, I just didn't want to be outside in the cold. Alice seemed to like the idea, and Emmett was just happy to sit back and watch us plan.

Bella was taking to her new life with ease, which surprised everyone. She worried about Renesmee though. You could see it in her eyes whenever she looked at her daughter. Bella's fear only fed my own. If she could get pregnant… Could I? One day, I managed to get Carlisle alone, and he assured me that I couldn't. Emmett was not a virgin when he turned, so there was no chance. It was a relief. Sure, there was a part of me that wanted to have Emmett's baby, but wolf or not, I doubted my body could take that.

The longer my pack stayed with the Cullen's, the clearer wolves became to Alice. Renesmee however, was still a dark spot. This made it even worse when Alice had a vision of the Volturi.

"So they're kind of like your vampire overlords?" James asked with a half-smile. I gave him a warning look, but said nothing.

"You could say that, yes." Carlisle, ever patient replied. "Alice and Jasper have… left. They suggested we gather witnesses." He almost looked his age as he cast his eyes downward. "I'm afraid this might end in a war."

Emmett's hand tightened around mine. This was big. This made the newborn army look like child's play. These vampires were old and powerful… We couldn't do this alone. "Sam's pack will fight – and so will mine." Jacob nodded.

"Our friends will help us, Carlisle." Esme tried to sooth her husband.

"My pack will fight." I commented after meeting each of their determined gazes. "And I have a few friends of my own." It was time to call in favors I hoped I would never have to. "James, I need you to call my friend Alcide in Louisiana." I grabbed a notepad by the nearby phone and started to jot down numbers. "If he gives you any grief, just remind him he owes me for the Sookie thing... Tell him to bring Eric if he can, but I don't want to owe that blood sucker any favors."

"You got it." He took the paper with a large smile. Again, my hand was flying over the notepad.

"Nick, I need you to call my friends Derek and Scott in Beacon Hills… Just ask to talk to Scott if Derek gives you an attitude. And tell them not to bring Stiles… It's too dangerous."

With a tiny salute and a "Yes ma'am!" He took the paper.

"Chase, I need you to get in contact with Ethan and Raven. They'll bring their whole pack."

He stepped up, waiting before grabbing the paper. "What about-"

"That's all!" I cut him off before he could mention my brothers. I couldn't ask that of them… Not after all this time.

They Cullen's came and went after that – scattering to find witnesses. One by one, random vampires and familiar wolves began to show up. There were too many red eyes for me to feel comfortable around, so I patrolled more often than not. Even though he didn't sleep, I could tell it bothered Emmett to not lay beside me every night.

"Are you done?" Emmett's voice called from behind me as I pulled on a shirt and shorts.

"Yeah, I think twelve hours is enough." I joked as his large arms wrapped around me before I could fully turn around. I sighed and laid my head on his chest. Even this contact was enough to satisfy the imprint.

"You're overworking yourself. I know you're uneasy, but I promise none of them will mess with you."

I simply shrugged and stood on my toes to press my lips against his. "So, turns out Bella is a shield. They're trying to teach her to use her powers. Wanna watch?" He asked with glee as I settled back on my feet.

"Absolutely." It was only when we got to the spot they were using that I realized why Emmett was so giddy. Edward was the test subject.

"Dude, you're not motivating her!" He called with a laugh as Edward got shocked, apparently not for the first time.

"Do you want to try?" Edward glanced sideways at him.

With his hands up in defense, Emmett smiled. "Gotta stay by my girl and protect her from all the big bad vamps." He joked placing an arm around my shoulder.

"Funny, from what I hear, she's fallen in quite well with them." The voice was so familiar, I knew it instantly. My back stiffened as my stomach dropped. If I had eaten anything before my patrol, I was sure I would vomit. Emmett's hand tightened around me as he turned us both to face the newest visitors. "Or have we heard wrong?"

My breath caught as I glanced from one face to the next – one I hadn't seen in nearly a century. "Alistair… Darren…" I almost sobbed their names, especially when I noticed their gazes held no malice.

"Babe… Who are they?" I could feel Emmett's worry and need to protect me.

"They're… My brothers."

* * *

AN: Reviews are loved! Sneak Peek:

 _"Tyler!?" I was sure everyone back at the house could hear us now. "You slept with your delta?" His accusatory tone made me bristle._

 _"Oh I'm sorry, are we not fucking living with your ex-wife?"_


	28. Chapter Twenty Seven - Finale

AN: Okay, a few things. I know some people are confused by the whole virgin/pregnant thing. I had meant to explain last chapter, but it slipped my mind. I couldn't remember if it was canon or something I read in a fic, but it was a theory that the reason Edward got Bella pregnant was because he was a virgin when he turned, thus he still had some human 'essence'. I hope that makes sense for you guys.

Okay, now that I explained that, this is the final chapter! Can you guys believe it! There is going to be an epilogue though, so that will be up soon!

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty Seven**

 _Finale_

* * *

Emmett was angry. I had never truly seen him angry, and although the sight was unsettling, I found myself preferring it over facing my brothers. I used Emmett's anger as an excuse to run, what else could I do? I wasn't ready to face my brothers – not after all this time. Emmett and I headed into woods, away from the prying ears of our visitors. To my dismay, I heard Esme welcome Darren and Alistair into the house. I wouldn't be able to avoid them forever.

I was so lost in thought, I almost ran into Emmett's back when he stopped suddenly. "What the hell, Alex?" Oh yes… he was _very_ mad. "Since when do you have brothers?" He turned on me, hurt clear in his honey eyes. "We're not supposed to have secrets – not anymore."

I couldn't stop the guilt that flooded me. "I know, Emmett…" I sighed, wondering how I was going to tackle this mountain. "I haven't seen them in nearly a century… I never thought I would again."

"That's not the point Alex!" He ran a hand through his dark hair. "You know everything about my life – even the time we spent apart. I'm beginning to feel like I know just as little about you now as I knew in the thirties!"

That hurt. "Emmett, I didn't intentionally hide this from you!" I was getting upset, which only seemed to fuel his anger.

"What next, Alex? You're going to tell me that your ex showed up too?" Guilt drenched me like ice water. It must have been obvious on my face. "Seriously? Who?"

"I never dated any of them per say…" I breathed. "I had a… _thing…_ with Alicde… and Derek… And Ty."

"Tyler!?" I was sure everyone back at the house could hear us now. "You slept with your delta?" His accusatory tone made me bristle.

"Oh I'm sorry, are we not fucking living with your ex-wife?"

His temper seemed to cool immediately. Sighing, his face softened. "I just don't… Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because there was nothing to tell!" I hesitantly took a step forward, taking his cool hands into my own. "I have always loved you, Emmett. Anyone I might have been with in the past knew it was never anything more than that, because it couldn't be. It was _always_ you, Em."

With another sigh, he closed his eyes and pulled me into his chest. "I'm sorry, Doll. I just… I hate not knowing something about you. I don't want there to be any secrets between us."

"I understand that… I'm sorry, Emmett." Nuzzling into his chest, I felt my heart rate calm down. "I still love you."

He snorted, lifting me abruptly and tossing me over his shoulder. "Love you too, Babe. But you're going to need to face your brothers." With a slap on my backside, he started walking back towards the house.

* * *

I never knew silence could be so deafening. Usually, I reveled in quiet; it was a luxury I seldom came across these days. I had never wished for noise before this moment. My brothers sat across the table from me, their accusatory eyes darting between Emmett and myself. Where do you begin when repairing a bridge that was destroyed nearly a hundred years ago?

"So…" Alistair spoke first, always level headed and exact. "You imprinted on a vampire?" Darren snorted at his side, but said nothing.

"Emmett was human when I imprinted on him." His cold hand wrapped around mine. "He… had an unfortunate accident. It resulted in him being turned."

"And you're okay with this?" Alistair gestured between the two of us, his eyes not giving away anything.

"He's still my imprint." I met Emmett's eyes briefly, a small smile pulling at my lips.

"Leave it to you." It was the first thing Darren had said since they first showed up. Unconsciously, my hand tightened around Emmett's. "Are you going to tense up every time I speak to you?" He looked annoyed with the situation. It was almost tempting to just pretend nothing had happened between us.

"Well, the last time we spoke, you were blaming me for our mother's death."

If I thought the silence was deafening before, this one threatened to crush us all. A low hiss nested in Emmett's throat, his deep eyes latching onto my brother's guilty face. It was then I realized that I had not told Emmett about that particular part of my past either. It intrigued me that he didn't even know the story, but seemed to be taking my side. I reminded myself to keep my face hard, and be touched by his loyalty later.

"I know what I said…" His light eyes fell to the table before meeting mine again. "I was angry, Alex… After that, I didn't know how to make it right. How do I say sorry for something like that?"

"You could have tried!" We were drawing a small crowd now. Esme tried to shoo the wolves and vampires gathering in the halls, but a few – namely Matt and James – seemed too stubborn to move.

"I know… You're right." Well, that wasn't what I expected. I had gone over several scenarios in my head of how this meeting would go, and in none of them was Darren forgiving and asking for forgiveness in turn. "Alexandria, you're my baby sister. I beat myself up every day for what I said."

"He really did." Alistair chimed in. "It was rather annoying at times."

"I wanted to make up with you, but I didn't know how." Darren sighed. "That's why I sent you Chase. I knew he was looking for a pack and that he would watch out for you."

I glanced at the doorway where the rest of my pack had gathered. Chase's gaze was level, but there was a pride behind his deep eyes. I couldn't bring myself to be angry at him for calling my brothers. Though, I would definitely have a word with him later. With a deep breath, I looked back to them. "What do you want now Darren? Do you want us to make up and pretend nothing ever happened? What about you Alistair? You left with him… You shut me out too."

"I want to make it right, Alexandria." Alistair's words were calm. "We both do. We came to fight for your cause. What we did is unforgivable… But it's also undoable. All we can ask now is your forgiveness."

I stood, my expression like stone. Emmett was joining me before my chair even stopped sliding. "We'll see."

* * *

As the weather grew colder, the tension became nearly unbearable. The wolves snapped at the vampires, and most of them chose to stay outside of the house. At one point, I physically had to pull Derek off on of the visiting vampires. Bella seemed oblivious to all the tension, her worry completely focused on her daughter.

"It's cold out." Emmett's deep voice pulled me from my thoughts as his arms encircled me from behind.

"I don't feel cold any more than you do." I let a fleeting smile pass my lips as I shifted my weight from the porch railing to his broad chest. "I'm just thinking about tomorrow."

The date was practically here, but it seemed like a dream. There was so much going on with each of us internally, that the big picture had become hazy. "Well, I have something that will amuse you." I rose a brow, turning in his arms.

"I find that hard to believe." Even as I spoke, a smile stretched across my face at the sight of his familiar dimpled grin.

His hands moved to mine, his thumb tracing where my ring should have been. With me phasing every other hour, it was too dangerous to carry it on me. Before Alice had left for reasons only known to her, she had been trying to help me come up with a way to have my ring without it getting in the way of a phase. Unfortunately, all we could think of was a long chain. That idea didn't pan out.

"Well, I just thought you would like to know that Darren, your older brother that hates anything with metaphorical fangs, just imprinted on my ex-wife."

I was laughing so loud, I was sure everyone could hear it. The idea of Darren with a vampire, especially Rosalie _was_ amusing. "That's hilarious!"

"See I told you!" His deep laugh seemed to echo around me as he pulled me into his cold chest. "Maybe now, you can get some sleep. I need you on top of your game tomorrow." Before I could protest, he scooped me up in his arms, his lips silencing mine. "Let's get you to bed, Doll."

The next morning was solemn. The visiting wolves went with Jacob's pack to meet Sam's, but mine stayed behind to travel with the Cullen's. While the rest of my pack, along with the visiting wolves would be hanging back, Jacob and I would be front and center. With our imprints in the line of fire, there was no way we were going to sit back and watch.

I quietly watched as Emmett pulled his unneeded jacket on. I didn't bother changing, I would phase here anyway. When he caught me watching, he let his arms drop beside him. With a small smile, he closed the distance between us, wordlessly pulling me into him. I breathed in his scent, so different from the others.

"I love you." It wasn't a goodbye on my part. If anything, it was a demand to stay safe.

"I love you too, Alex." His dimples returned. "And when all this is over, I'm going to marry you."

"Well, we better not waste any time then."

We all ran in silence, caught up in our own thoughts. I couldn't imagine how loud it must have been for Edward. I caught the side glance he sent me at that thought, but shrugged it off. As we ran, Emmett stayed at my side. I realized that he must have been as worried for my safety as I was for his. My brothers joined my pack for this battle, but when it was all over, they would have to decide what to do. Darren's imprinting on Rosalie meant that I would probably see a lot more of them.

They flanked the Cullen's, their coat as stark-white as my own. The snow helped to conceal us, but it didn't matter. We would be meeting the enemy head on. The field – our battle field – was so peaceful, it was hard to picture the snow marred with blood. We hoped it wouldn't come to that, especially since vampires didn't bleed. Emmett ran a hand through the fur on my neck as he headed out with the other vampires. The packs were staying behind to brief each other; lift morale and all that.

 _'It seems like I've been giving more of these pep talks since we joined the Cullen's.'_ I thought as I turned to my large pack. Not far off, Sam and Jacob were beginning speeches of their own. _'I'm not going to pretend that we're all going to walk away from this unscaved – that's the best case scenario.'_

 _'Your pep talk isn't very peppy…'_ Darren shook his fur out as an image of Rosalie passed through his mind. _'Aren't you supposed to be rallying us and what not?'_

I growled at him, causing him to take a step back. He might not have been an official pack member, but he would respect my position as alpha while with me. _'I'm being honest.'_ I growled out. _'I want everyone to be careful. As always, watch out for your brother or sister beside you. I would trust any of you with my life... I just hope I won't have to. When this is all over, we'll rest. For now, I need all of you on guard.'_

I was met with agreement, without so much as a catty remark from James or Matt. _'They're here…'_ Sam thought loud enough for every wolf to hear.

Jacob, Sam, and I headed out first, quite enjoying the shocked looks on the faces of the visiting vamps. Our packs followed, falling back a bit. The visiting wolves were last. Jacob took his spot next to Renesmee as I joined Emmett. Behind me, I could feel Darren move into position next to Rose. I tried to pay attention to the words that were exchanged, but a major part of me was aware that Emmett was in danger. And then, we were moving.

The head vampire – Aro – had gift like Edward's, and he wanted to 'see' Renesmee for himself. Bella asked Emmett to join her – something I really wished she hadn't. I didn't even have to consider it before my paws started moving. Jacob – who stood on Bella's other side sent me a look, one that meant he would have my back if something went down.

We waited in tense silence as the creepy leech watched the images Renesmee provided. One of the lesser vamp's watched me and Jacob like a hunter tracking his prey. It made me uneasy. Sensing my discomfort, Emmett's hand grasped my fur again, causing the vampire's eyes to flicker to my imprint. A growl rumbled in my chest, only to be echoed by every other wolf in the field.

Aro's laugh pulled everyone's attention to him. As he spoke, we backed up my eyes glancing back to them every few seconds. As he went on and on about the danger Renesmee posed, it was becoming clear that he had no intention of letting us go. We prepared ourselves for the inevitable fight when Alice and Jasper joined us… and they weren't alone.

There was another? How on earth did Alice even find him? Only Edward knew what Aro saw when he touched Alice's hand. It must have been a long vision, because the silence dragged on. His face contorted into several different expressions before he pulled his hand from Alice's like it was on fire.

… And then they were leaving…

 _'Wait… that's it?'_ James seemed disappointed. _'What a rip off!'_

When the Volturi was gone, I waited a few more seconds before shifting back. As per usual, Emmett's jacket was thrust into my arms. "That was kind of anti-climactic wasn't it?" I asked with a laugh as everyone celebrated.

"You sound disappointed…" Emmett laughed as he moved towards me. Before he could get too close, Alice cut in front of him, pulling me into a hug.

"We can plan your wedding now!" She cheered and hugged me tighter. "And I've even solved your ring issue! We'll tattoo your wedding rings on!"

Laughing, I shook my head as she released me. "That would work for me, Alice, but not so much for Emmett." I smiled as she laced her arm through mine, pulling me in the direction of the house. Emmett fell into step on my other side without issue.

"It will if you bite him first."

Emmett laughed before what she said sunk in. "Wait… what?"

Smiling again, I paused to place a quick kiss to his lips. "We've got a wedding to plan!"

 _The End_


	29. Epilogue

Epilogue

* * *

I smiled as my hand sought out Emmett's. It was Chase's turn to give a speech, and he was having trouble talking in front of a large crowd. The wedding had gone well, although there were about ten times more flowers than I would have liked. Renesmee was supposed to be the flower girl, but with the physical appearance and mentality of a twelve year old, we didn't think that was a good idea. She was slowly starting to look more like Bella's sister than her daughter.

We all clapped at Chase's toast before Matt and James took the stage. "Let's raise a glass to the newlyweds!" They were met with cheers. The rehearsal was a lot more relaxed than the ceremony had been. Even Alice seemed to enjoying the disorder. I glanced down at Emmett's hand where a wedding ring tattoo sat. Mine matched, but it was a lot thinner.

"We thought we would sing a song that we're pretty sure got these two together." James laughed as the music started. I shook my head as the song from the club started playing – the same song we had danced to when we were still denying our feelings.

Emmett tugged my hand and dragged me towards the small dance floor that was already starting to fill up. My light scarf-like dress twisted around my hips as he spun me into his arms. It wasn't really a slow song, but Emmett didn't seem to care.

"So where should we go for our honeymoon?" He mumbled into my hair as he pulled me against him. His scent surrounded me as we swayed. "I was thinking maybe a year in Spain?"

I smiled, looking up at him. "Sorry, but I don't think we'll be going anywhere for at least another seven months." I watched as his face twisted in confusion. After a few seconds, I tried again. "After that, we might need _three_ tickets."

It seemed to dawn on him then. His dancing faltered. "Alex… Are you saying… How?" He held me at arm's length, his honeyed eyes darting between my face and stomach.

"Remember a few months ago when we got our rings tattooed on?" I asked with a smile. "Well, as it turns out, it makes you even more human than we thought."

His face went from shock to happy to worry. It was quite the transformation. "But what if…" He looked around before pulling me closer. "What if it's like Renesmee?"

"Alice said she won't be." His face relaxed instantly, a wide smile settling across his lips. "And that she'll take after me… When the time comes."

He laughed out loud this time, one of his large hands coming to rest on my stomach. "She…" He breathed.

"And she'll always be protected. Thanks to James." I knew it was a blow, especially after just telling him I was pregnant. Luckily, this didn't seem to need any more explaining.

Emmett's stern eyes immediately sought out James who was winking at a blonde that stood in the audience. "You're telling me that _he_ imprints on our daughter?" Emmett hissed, though it came out as more of a pout.

With a laugh, I pulled him against me again. "Yes, but he doesn't know it yet, so don't go tearing his head off." I smiled and kissed him before he could complain further. "It'll be fine, Em. There's no stronger bond than an imprint."

His eyes softened as he ducked his head to kiss me again. "I agree. I love you, Alexandrea."

"I love you too, Emmett. I always have."

* * *

Author's Note

* * *

Hey guys! I just wanted to put a final AN in to thank all of you for your support and amazing reviews! I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I have the best readers! You guys are seriously awesome! Thanks so much for coming on this LONG journey with me! If you like my stories, you might be interested to know I'll be revamping My Sister's Wolf! So keep an eye out for that one!

Thanks again guys!

~AAH


	30. A New EmmettOC Story!

Hello everyone! It's been quite a while since I've looked back on this story! I just wanted to let you all know that I have a **new** Emmett/OFC story up! This story and your reviews were a huge inspiration. It's up on my page now, and it's called _**Into The Fire**_.


End file.
